Break out the barbecues and head for the beach this sunny weekend

However, it will be some time before the heat recorded in May will be felt again.

A spokesperson for Met Eireann said this weekend will see "good barbecuing weather", with temperatures to reach the high teens and "extended periods of sunshine on Saturday".

"You wouldn't be calling it sterling summer weather or anything like that, but it wouldn't be horrific either," Met Eireann told the Herald.

North-easterly winds will continue to shift showers, which fed in over Dublin last night from the Irish Sea, inward throughout today, lending to improved conditions for the weekend.

"Highs over the weekend will be around 16C to 19C and might even reach the low 20s," Met Eireann said.

Unsettled

"It will be wet to start tomorrow, up to around 10am or 11am, with the heavier rain coming in the early hours of the morning.

"We're not looking at significant rainfall, or anything, and then it should brighten up towards the evening with the middle of the day cloudy and around 14C or 15C."

By the weekend, however, conditions will have recovered into the high teens or low 20s by day, but will remain mixed with showers or longer spells of rain interspersed with drier and sunnier interludes.

Dublin is likely to be spared the worst of these conditions and will enjoy some of the longer periods of sunshine across the country.

"Saturday won't even be as strong as the day before as you get into the body of the day," the Met Eireann spokesperson said.

"There will be some sunny spells in the afternoon from lunchtime on, maybe from 1pm.

"As for temperatures for the day, you're talking around 16C.

"Getting into Sunday, the weather is looking dry enough, with the wind picking up a little bit.

"Temperatures will be around 16C, with the wind shifting more south-easterly, but dropping off as the evening goes on.

"Then next week it could be a bit unsettled."