A CLOUDY START for much of the country this morning will begin to clear later this afternoon but consistent wet and windy conditions are in store for the rest of the week. 

As the last of the summer staycations get underway ahead of the planned return to schools next week, forecasters have warned of heavy rainfall and “blustery” conditions nationwide over the next seven days. 

“Today will start mostly cloudy over the northern half of the country with showery rain slow to clear to the northeast [but] brighter conditions will develop in the south and extend northwards during the day with a few isolated heavy showers,” Met Éireann said. 

Temperatures will climb as high as 22C in parts, dropping to as low as 11C tonight but returning to the high teens from tomorrow. 

Tomorrow, “rain, heavy at times in the south [...] will extend northwards becoming patchier through the day. It will gradually clear north by evening with further heavy rain spreading from the south”.

“Highest temperatures of 17 to 20 degrees in fresh and gusty east wind veering southeasterly with the passage of the rain.

“Wet and windy weather is expected up to the weekend with further rainfall warnings likely and possible wind warnings, [and] becoming fresher over the weekend with a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers.

Thursday will also bring with it a risk of thundery showers. “Another band of rain will spread northwards over the country with heavy thundery showers following,” the national forecaster said. 

With some sunny spells forecast for parts of the country over the weekend the unsettled weather will continue into next week. 

“The early days of next week will be cool, blustery and unsettled with further spells of rain and showers,” Met Éireann said.