COLD TEMPERATURES WITH hail and thunder are forecast for St Patrick’s Day this weekend. 

Looking at tonight first, a status yellow rainfall warning has been issued for Connacht, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary. 

Very heavy rain is expected to develop overnight and into tomorrow with spot flooding. A total of 25 to 35mm of rainfall is expected. 

The warning will kick in at 9pm and remain valid until midday tomorrow. 

A status yellow snow-ice warning has als been issued for Donegal. 

Met Éireann said the heavy rain will turn to snow tonight and early tomorrow morning. This will lead to poor driving conditions. Snowfall is likely to be greater on higher ground, the forecaster said. 

This warning kicks in at midnight and will remain valid until midday tomorrow.

The snow in Ulster is due to turn back into rain tomorrow morning. 

It will be very wet and blustery across a lot of the country and further spells of heavy rain are expected. 

The rain will ease off in the afternoon and will make way for sunshine and scattered blustery showers, according to Met Éireann. 

The national forecast for St Patrick’s Day is a bleak one.

“St Patrick’s Day looks set to be a cold and blustery day with sunny spells and passing showers, some with hail and thunder,” Met Éireann said. 

Highest temperatures will range between 7 and 9 degrees. 

Showers are due to move back to Atlantic coastal areas on St Patrick’s Day night with good clear spells developing elsewhere. 

Lowest temperatures will range between 1 and 4 degrees. 

Similar to the weekend, Met Éireann has said current indications suggest that Tuesday will be a “cloudy and breezy day with patchy rain and drizzle moving eastwards across the country”.