‘Unseasonably windy weather’ forecast from this evening until Saturday

Wind warnings in place as warm weather gives way to heavy rain and thunder

Swimmers playing in the Weir at Lucan during this week’s blazing sunshine. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times.
Swimmers playing in the Weir at Lucan during this week’s blazing sunshine. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times.

Met Éireann has warned of "unseasonably windy weather" from Thursday evening until Saturday.

A weather advisory has been issued for the entire country from 6pm on Thursday until 6pm on Saturday.

“Given the time of year, there is potential for wind-related impacts such as debris from trees and movement of unsecured outdoor items,” the advisory states.

Two status yellow wind warnings are also in place for counties Galway and Mayo from 9pm on Thursday and Donegal and Sligo from 6am on Friday. Both warnings are in place until 9pm on Friday with gusts of up to 90 to 110km/h expected in coastal areas and on exposed hills and mountains.

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The windy conditions come after temperatures soared to 22.6 degrees in Dublin on Wednesday. Most parts of the country will experience sunny spells on Thursday with highest temperatures ranging between 16 and 20 degrees.

Heavy rain

However, heavy rain with thundery bursts will arrive in the southwest by the evening and extend northeastwards.

Outbreaks of rain will spread across the country on Thursday night which will be heavy and thundery at times. Lowest temperatures will be between 9 and 11 degrees.

Friday will be a blustery day with a mix of sunshine and showers. The showers will be most frequent over the western half of the country, some of them thundery and of hail.

The southeast and east will become largely dry later in the day. Temperatures will be a few degrees cooler than recent days with highs of between 12 and 16 degrees.

Saturday will be another day of sunshine and showers with a fresh and gusty westerly wind. Showers will be most frequent in the north, merging into longer spells of rain later in the day. The best of the sunny spells will be in the south and east, with highs of 13 to 16 degrees compared to 11 to 13 degrees in the north and west.

It will be mostly dry on Sunday with good spells of sunshine for most areas but a little cloudier in Ulster with patchy rain at times. Highest temperatures will be between 15 and 19 degrees.

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns is a reporter for The Irish Times