Sunset off Gaoth Dobhair Bay this Friday evening. Pic Tommy Curran for donegaldaily.com
THIS was the sunset over Gaoth Dobhair this evening as the cold but dry clear weather continues.
However forecasters are predicting a change in the weather over the weekend as the easterly weather system begins to shift.
Here’s Peter O’Donnell from Irish Weather Online with his view of the next few days:
TONIGHT … Another clear, cold night with some increase in cloud towards morning, lows -5 to -2 C, and patchy ice fog developing towards dawn, as winds become generally calm.
SATURDAY … Variable cloud, light winds, a bit milder after a chilly start, and highs 8-11 C. There could be some rain or sleet by evening as winds become southeasterly 30-50 km/hr.
SUNDAY … Increasing cloud east, periods of rain developing from southwest into most other regions, becoming quite windy (E to SE 40-70 km/hr), highs near 9 C in south and possibly as low as 5 C in the north. Some of the rain could turn to sleet or hill snow in the north as warming will be held close to the south coast by slow-moving warm fronts that may not push north until fairly late overnight or on Monday, if at all.
MONDAY … Breezy to windy, showers, possibly heavy rain later and highs in west and south around 11 C, possibly as cold as 7 C further east and north where the milder air will be very slow to arrive. Heavy rain (15-30 mm) in west Munster and fog with southeast to southerly winds possibly at or near gale force along the south coast in particular by Monday night. Some localized snowmelt flooding from higher terrain and in parts of east Ulster combining with any rainfall, and this could become locally severe. Winds east to southeast at about 40-70 km/hr.
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY … Periods of rain, hail showers at times, highs each day about 8-12 C although could be held to 4-7 C in Ulster. Risk of some heavy rains (20-30 mm) with risk of spot flooding in west Munster, otherwise amounts of about 5-15 mm. On the other hand, the rain may be beneficial in some places. Easterly winds are likely to become more northwesterly and temperatures may once again begin to fall towards lower single digits later in the period. Showers could then become mixed and wintry.
FURTHER OUTLOOK … At the moment, the chances of a really large upward trend in temperature is uncertain and anything much above 12-15 C may be either very brief or cut off at the pass by yet another cold spell, although this time from a more northwesterly source (so not quite as extreme). At least there are suggestions of a warming trend later in April, so therefore some hope of improvements. I think the last week of the month is the best chance for any real warmth.