Weather is set to get a lot nicer -- for ducks
WE can put away the winter gloves for the time being as the bright cold snap is set to be replaced with slightly wetter and milder weather over the weekend.
Although Eastern Europe is still in the grips of a big freeze, moist conditions from the Atlantic are pushing their way over Ireland, knocking the mercury up.
But Met Eireann said the levels of rain would remain relatively low, with the west and the north getting the most of it.
Forecaster Joan Blackburn said: "The very cold dry weather is being replaced by less cold moist air from the Atlantic."
Met Eireann said today would be generally cloudy, but persistent rain would push into the west and move eastwards by evening.
Frost will return in the early hours of tomorrow morning as the rain clears away, but it won't quite be as bad as the --6C experienced in parts of the country this week.
There might still be a bit of a chill in the east as temperatures hover around 6C, but the west and north will be warmer at about 10C.
It will be a similar picture tomorrow, while Monday will be milder again with highest temperatures of about 10 to 12C.
The cold snap has threatened the racing at Fairyhouse today with hopes pinned on the track passing an inspection this morning.
Met Eireann also warned that the cold snap may return.
"The cold air is still over Britain and it's lurking there to the east all of the time, and it might poke its nose closer to us again as we go through the week, but for the time being it looks as if the Atlantic has won through" said Ms Blackburn.
- Colm Kelpie
Irish Independent
