HALF THE COUNTRY is blanketed with heavy rain this morning and it’s looking like a very unsettled weekend is to follow. 

Met Éireann has said that today “will start wet and windy” before the rain clears throughout the day, lingering in eastern areas. 

Scattered showers will continue tonight, especially in the west and north, occasionally turning heavy. Breezy conditions will give way to gusty southwest to westerly winds that will be fresh near the coasts.

Tomorrow is being forecast as a blustery day with scattered showers and winds that could turn very strong along west and northwest coasts.

Similar is being predicted for Sunday but showers will then turn “heavy and widespread” and perhaps thundery in some areas. 

Sunday’s All Ireland hurling final will see cool conditions with Met Éireann predicting temperatures of between 16 to 18 degrees in moderate to fresh west to southwest winds. 

“During Sunday night showers will become isolated and later confined to Atlantic coastal counties. Lowest temperatures will fall to around 9 to 12 degrees in mostly moderate westerly breezes,” Met Éireann says.