Mostly dry, summer-like weather is going to continue over the next week with warmer temperatures and good sunny spells.
The pleasant weather is however not yet prompting calls from Irish Water for a hosepipe ban. The utility said May was “quite wet” as was some of early June, so while people should always act responsibly with water supplies, a spokesman said formal restrictions or a ban were not as yet on the cards.
Met Éireann said Sunday next should see the start of some prolonged dry weather with high temperatures in the Leinster, east Ulster and Munster regions.
Forecaster Matthew Martin said coming days would see mostly dry conditions in the east of the country being disrupted as thickening cloud moves in from the west. This will bring patchy rain and drizzle Tuesday afternoon, with top temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees Celsius, warmest and driest in the south and east.
Wednesday will start out dull and misty with rain and drizzle becoming confined to Ulster and Leinster during the morning. Brighter weather will develop across the west and south during the afternoon, but it will stay mostly cloudy with occasional drizzle elsewhere. It will be humid, with top temperatures of 16 to 20 or 21 degrees Celsius, in just light westerly breezes; warmest across the southwest and west.
Thursday should see the rain move into the north and west during the morning with sunny spells elsewhere. During the afternoon, rain will gradually become more widespread with some heavy falls.
Friday will be a fresh day with a mix of cloud and sunny interludes. There’ll be scattered showers about, some heavy but tending to die out later in the day. Top temperatures will range 13 to 18 degrees Celsius, warmest in the south.
Mr Martin said there was some uncertainty about the coming weekend but early indications were there will be good dry periods with sunny spells and some well-scattered showers. After a rather cool day on Friday conditions are expected to turn somewhat warmer and more humid for the weekend. The best of the weather would begin on Sunday, he said.
Mr Martin said ground moisture content in Munster and Leinster was already quite low for this time of year and should next week turn out to be mostly dry, as expected, conditions could hamper growth of farm crops.
