SNOW ON CHRISTMAS Day is unlikely, with temperatures expected to reach highs of around 7 to 10 degrees this Saturday – though the exact forecast is still to become clear due to a “battle” between cold and mild air masses.

Met Éireann has confirmed that snowfall is unlikely this Christmas but people should be alert to risks posed by spells of heavy rain or strong winds.

The current forecast suggests that highest temperatures on Christmas Day will range from 7 to 10 degrees Celsius and bring moderate east-to-southeast breezes, with a mix of rainy and dry periods.

However, there is still some uncertainty about the forecast for Christmas and the following days.

Speaking to The Journal, Met Éireann meteorologist Bonnie Diamond said that there is “still quite a bit of uncertainty for Christmas Day itself and that’s due to a battle between air masses”.

“At the minute, it looks like there’ll be a milder air mass across Ireland, whereas there’s a cold air mass that’s across Scotland, and the two of them are sort of having it out at the minute,” Diamond said.

“It looks like the milder air mass is winning across Ireland, but that can change.” 

Dry and cloudy weather tomorrow, with highs of 5 to 9 degrees, will turn wetter on Wednesday as rain spreads across the country in the morning, Met Éireann has forecast.

Thursday is set to be mostly dry with bright and sunny spells and highest temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees.

Christmas Eve on Friday is expected to bring some rain and turn slightly colder than earlier in the week, with highs of 7 to 10 degrees.

“Whilst the current forecast over Christmas Day and the weekend at the moment looks mild and there isn’t an awful lot of frost in the forecast, we can still have spells of rain and strong winds at this time of year,” Diamond said.

“Although there isn’t much sign of wintry weather and cold weather in the forecast for Christmas weekend, don’t forget that we can get spells of heavy rain and strong winds,” she said.

“These are also challenging for driving.”

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are warning drivers to ensure their vehicles are working properly ahead of the shortest day of the year tomorrow.

In particular, drivers should check their lights, indicators, reflectors and number plate lighting to make sure they can be seen at all times.

“Using dipped headlights and keeping vehicle lights clean are ways drivers can ensure they can see and be seen,” said Sam Waide, Chief Executive Officer of the RSA.

“However, they also need to slow down at night or poor light conditions as pedestrians and cyclists can be difficult to see in the dark, particularly if you must deal with the glare of oncoming lights.”