LAST UPDATE | 29 Jan 2021

IT’S SET TO be a washout of a weekend with a two-day Met Éireann weather advisory set to kick in from tonight.

The forecaster issued the advisory for the entire country earlier today, warning that “very unsettled weather” is to be expected over the weekend with wet and windy conditions.

There will be a risk of localised flooding, and it will also be cold with snow and icy conditions expected.

The advisory kicks in at 10pm tonight and will remain in place until Sunday night. 

A Status Yellow rainfall warning is also in place for Wicklow and Wexford from tonight, kicking in at 3am and lasting until 3pm tomorrow.

Met Éireann warns that there will be heavy rainfall with accumulations of up to 30 to 40mm, with a risk of localised flooding.

Looking at the general forecast, heavy and persistent rain in the southwest is expected to move across the country tonight, with strong winds also picking up as the night continues.

Lowest temperatures are expected to be between 1 and 6 degrees Celsius. 

Tomorrow morning will see cold, wet and windy conditions in most parts of the country, and outbreaks of rain will persist through the day, falling as sleet or snow at times.

However, parts of Ulster will stay fully dry with some sunny spells.

Met Éireann says it will be bitterly cold throughout the day, when there will be an added wind chill factor, with highest temperatures set to reach between 3 and 6 degrees.

Rain, falling as sleet or snow in some parts, will continue tomorrow night, when lowest temperatures will reach -2 to +3 degrees Celsius.

And rain and sleet will spread eastwards across the country on Sunday, with snow in parts, especially over the northern half of the country. Highest daytime temperatures will be between 1 and 4 degrees.

However, drier spells will develop on Sunday night, when lowest temperatures will fall to between 0 and 4 degrees generally but stay between 5 and 6 degrees in Munster.