Met Eireann’s latest updates to its forecast show rain battering the country over the coming days meaning a dry Christmas Day could be off the cards.
Heavy rain will extend countrywide from the southwest today reaching the north coast by early afternoon, and there is potential for spot flooding and pools of surface water.
The rain will persist across Ulster well into the evening hours, while a clearance will gradually develop across the rest of the country bringing sunny spells and a few remaining light showers.
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Highest temperatures will range from 5 to 11 degrees, north to south across the country.
Any lingering rain near the north coast will clear early tonight as a mix of clear spells and a few scattered showers follow for the rest of the night.
Later in the night, showers will become more frequent and occasionally heavy along Atlantic coasts bringing lowest temperatures of 1 to 6 degrees in a light to moderate southwest breeze.
Saturday (Christmas Eve) will bring some sunny spells, however, showers in the west during the morning will become more widespread in the afternoon and some will be heavy.
Highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees and rather breezy and blustery in moderate to fresh southerly winds.
Saturday night will feature a mix of clear spells and scattered showers and some of the showers may be heavy and prolonged, especially near Atlantic coasts.
Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees are expected in a moderate to fresh southerly breeze, stronger near the west coast.
Sunday, Christmas morning, will be dry and bright for many eastern and southern areas but showery outbreaks of rain will move into the west and north.
This rain will gradually make its way southeastwards across the country through the afternoon and evening.
Colder clearer conditions will follow to the west and north with some showers feeding into northern coastal areas later, possibly of hail or sleet.
The highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees are due early in the day in a light to moderate southerly breeze.
It’ll be very cold on Christmas night with clear spells and a few showers affecting northern coastal counties mainly with some turning wintry.
Lowest temperatures of -2 to 2 degrees with some frost forming, in moderate west to northwest winds, stronger along the north coast.
Heading into the new week then, Monday (St. Stephen's Day) is predicted to be a cold and brighter day with sunny spells and scattered showers, mainly in western and northern coastal counties.
These showers may turn to sleet in some spots with some hail and hill snow possible over Ulster. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees.
Current indications suggest the return of milder air from Monday night onwards with rain and showers feeding in from the Atlantic bringing strong winds at times too.
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