IT’S GOING TO be a cold week ahead with frost, hail and wintry conditions forecast.

Met Éireann has said rain and drizzle over the northern half of the country this morning will gradually move southwards, reaching southern areas in the early afternoon. 

Highest temperatures today will range between 9 and 11 degrees. 

Tonight, Munster and Connacht will be mostly cloudy with patchy drizzle, mist and fog and lowest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees. Much of Leinster and Ulster will be dry with clear spells and some frost, with temperatures dropping as low as 0 degrees. 

It’s expected to be a cloudy day tomorrow, but weather will remain dry. 

Tomorrow night will see rain and drizzle moving eastwards across the country, with temperatures dropping as low as 4 degrees. 

The rain and drizzle is forecast to clear on Wednesday morning, with sunny spells and showers following. 

On Wednesday night, showers are forecast to continue and will extend further east, some heavy or of hail. Met Éireann has said frost may develop in sheltered areas. 

Looking ahead to Thursday, conditions will be cold, with sunshine and heavy showers, some of hail and possibly thundery. These will become increasingly wintry in the afternoon and evening. 

Thursday night is due to see wintry showers affect western coastal counties. Many areas will be dry with clear spells, but there will be a sharp frost with icy patches. 

Temperatures are forecast to drop as low as -3 degrees on Thursday night.