THE BANK HOLIDAY Monday is starting the week off on a bright note with a sunny and mostly dry day.

Met Éireann forecasts highest temperatures today between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, with the warmest temperatures in the east and northeast of the country.

The morning will be sunny for most of the country. In the west and southwest, the sky will be cloudier at times with some patchy rain, but the east is expected to stay dry.

A mild night is set to follow with lowest temperatures of 11 or 12 degrees Celsius with light southerly winds and some drizzle or patchy rain in western counties.

The grass pollen count is high in Leinster today, moderate in Munster and Ulster, and low in Connacht.

That’s set to increase tomorrow, rising to high in Leinster, Munster and Ulster and moderate in Connact.

Met Éireann forecasts that tomorrow will “start out mainly cloudy but largely dry and many places will stay dry throughout, particularly in the east and north”.

“There’ll be patchy rain for western areas, turning heavy at times in the south later, then extending further east through the evening,” it says.

On Tuesday afternoon, highest temperatures will from 16 degrees Celsius in the south to 21 degrees Celsius in the north, while winds will be mainly moderate southerly.

Come Wednesday, temperatures are to remain warm and humid up to 17 to 22 degrees Celsius, with some rain and drizzle turning patchy throughout the day.

“Thursday will be warm, humid and breezy with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. There’ll be drier weather across the eastern half of the country with the sun breaking through at times,” Met Éireann predicts.

“Afternoon temperatures of 17 to 23 degrees, the higher values in the east and northeast, in a moderate to fresh south to southwest breeze. Atlantic counties will see further rain and drizzle after dark, with the rest of the country staying largely dry. Warm and humid at night,” the forecaster says.

By Friday there’ll be sunny spells after a mostly cloudy start. Feeling a little fresher with highest temperatures ranging 15 degrees at coasts of the west to 21 or 22 degrees in the southeast. Winds will be light to moderate westerly becoming variable in direction later.

“Current indications suggest warm weather for next weekend.”