Ireland will soon be blitzed by brutal winds and torrential downpours driven by two mega-freezes on either side of the Atlantic.
The country is sandwiched between a whiteout gripping Canada and parts of North America, with another crippling Russia and some of Eastern Europe.
Forecasters say the interaction of the two cold air masses either side of milder air over Northern Europe will help drive the week-long deluge.
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Meanwhile, the collision between cold and mild air over the North Atlantic is also expected to fire up the jet stream and drag violent low-pressure systems towards Ireland.
Meteorologist Jim Dale told Express: “Very cold weather is currently affecting Canada and North America and Russia and Ukraine.
“We are in the middle and when we get that we see an upset and unsettled pattern of weather in between. We are between two big freezes, in the mixer in between, and so for the next week at least we are going to get a bit of everything.”
Stormy wet and windy weather has already set in and Met Eireann’s forecast shows no end in sight.
The national forecaster said there will be rain almost every day this week as well as very strong winds at times.
Hail and thunder is also forecast, with temperatures not expected to rise much above double digits.
Giving its forecast for today, Met Eireann said: “Most places will have a dry afternoon with a good deal of low cloud around. Some sunshine breaking through in parts too. Patchy rain will continue to affect Munster with a few spots of rain or drizzle elsewhere too. Highs of 6C to 10C in mainly light winds. Later this evening, wet and breezy weather will develop in the southwest.
“Wet and breezy weather will track up over the country tonight with a clearance to scattered showers following to all but the north by morning. Some heavy downpours may occur locally, especially in the northeast towards morning. Lowest temperatures of 2C to 5, coldest early in the night. Fresh and blustery southerly winds with strong gusts at times. Winds will ease and veer southwest as the rain clears.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow, it continued: “Heavy rain will clear the northeast on Wednesday morning. Tomorrow will be windy with sunny spells and scattered showers, some with hail and thunder, especially closer to the Atlantic coast. Highest temperatures of 7C to 10C with fresh to strong and gusty southwest winds developing. Winds will be very strong at times along Atlantic coasts through the afternoon, with high seas also.
“Showers will persist across Atlantic counties on Wednesday night, some heavy with the chance of hail or thunder, with long clearer spells elsewhere. Outbreaks of rain will develop in western areas before dawn. Lowest temperatures of 3C to 6C in blustery southerly winds.”
Thursday will be another very wet day, with a bit of a break on Friday.
The meteorological service said: “Rather wet and windy on Thursday with spells of rain tracking eastwards through the day, and brighter conditions with scattered showers following from the west. Highest temperatures of 8C to 11C in fresh to strong south to southwest winds, easing as the rain clears.
“Blustery on Thursday night with clear spells and scattered showers through the night, the showers mainly in the west. Lowest temperatures of 3C to 6C in moderate to fresh southwesterly winds.
“Friday will be showery in the northwest but with a lot of dry and bright weather elsewhere and some sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 8C to 11C in moderate southerly winds.”
Giving its outlook for the weekend, Met Eireann continued: “Turning wet and breezy again for Friday night and Saturday. Remaining very blustery and showery for the rest of the weekend.”
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