Summer time arrives with settled weather

SUMMER TIME officially begins this weekend and with it comes the promise of temperatures into the high teens in the next few days.

Met Éireann is predicting settled weather that will continue long into next week. The national forecaster says temperatures will average between 14 and 17 degrees today and are likely to climb even higher tomorrow.

The weather looks like staying dry and settled until late Thursday or Friday, with light winds. The days are forecast to be very mild or warm in places with temperatures in the mid to high teens in some areas, though several degrees cooler near coasts.

Nights will be cool under clear skies with some grass frost, and also some patchy mist or fog.

With summer time officially starting at 1am Greenwich Mean Time, all clocks should be put forward by an hour. Summer time is due to officially end on Sunday, October 28th.

The sun shone brightly yesterday on Daffodil Day, the Irish Cancer Society’s annual fundraising event, which is now in its 25th year. More than 3,000 Daffodil Day volunteers flooded the streets in an attempt to raise a record €3.5 million.

For those preparing to head out and embrace the mild temperatures over the weekend, there are plenty of events on.

The main draws on the music front are the Grammy-nominated artist Drake, who brings his Club Paradise tour to the O2 in Dublin, this evening and the highly-regarded British band Spiritualized, which is appearing at Vicar Street tonight.

The Russian State Ballet is in town and will be performing both Cinderella and Swan Lake over the weekend at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (formerly Grand Canal Theatre) in Dublin.

The Feis Ceoil continues at the RDS Concert Hall over the coming days. The RDS is also hosting both the Spring Antiques Show and the Furniture and Homes Accessories Fair.

Following last night’s clash between Leinster and Ospreys there’s further Pro12 action this evening when Connacht take on Munster at the Galway Sportsground. The kick-off is at 7.45pm and delays are likely in the vicinity of the stadium before and after the game.

The Leinster Schools Junior Cup Final takes place tomorrow at 3pm when St Michaels College take on Newbridge College at Donnybrook Stadium.

Croke Park is hosting two games this afternoon with Dublin taking on Tipperary in the National Hurling League at 5pm, followed by the Dublin versus Donegal clash in the National Football League at 7.15pm. Stiles open at 4pm and traffic delays are likely in the surrounding area.

Racing is on at Gowran Park today and at the Curragh tomorrow.