Planning an outdoors trip this weekend? Here’s what you need to know on the weather

The best of the weather over the coming days is likely to be before the weekend, according to Met Éireann.

Those planning to take advantage of newly relaxed travel limits to visit beaches or go on scenic walks should probably do so on Friday, according to the weather forecast.

The new limits allow travel within your own county or 20km from home if crossing a county boundary, the Department of Health says.

According to Met Éireann, Friday will be “another dry day for most”, with spells of hazy sunshine.

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Friday will, however, feel a little cooler than recent days, especially in the west, with highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds, fresh at times in western coastal areas.

Cloud and rain will gradually extend inwards from the Atlantic over the weekend, but rain will be fairly minimal in the east and southeast.

Better weather with more sunshine and higher temperatures will return from about Tuesday of next week, as high pressure builds, bringing mostly fine and settled weather.

Detailed breakdown

In terms of the details forecast for the coming days, most areas are expected to be dry on Friday night under broken cloud. Some pockets of mist and fog will form over Friday night in mainly light to moderate southeast breezes. Some patchy rain and drizzle may be experienced in the Atlantic coastal areas towards morning, accompanied by freshening southeasterly winds. Lows of 1 to 4 degrees Celsius are forecast for Friday night, but temperatures will be a few degrees higher near Atlantic coasts.

Saturday will be a mostly dry day for the bulk of the country, with increasing cloud. The best of the sunshine will be over the eastern half of the country through the morning. Outbreaks of rain and drizzle will, however, edge slowly eastwards over the country during the evening.

Sunday will be generally cloudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, with patchy mist and some hill and coastal fog. The rain on Sunday will be at its most persistent in the west and northwest, with perhaps some brief sunny spells occurring in the south and east. Sunday will see temperature highs of 9 to 12 degrees Celsius in light to moderate southerly breezes, fresh at times near some coasts.