According to superstition it’s going to rain for the next six weeks

It's summertime here in Ireland, although you wouldn't know it, and according to ancient legend we're in for six weeks of torrential rain.

Yesterday, July 15, was St Swithin’s Day and according to legend whatever the weather is like on St Swithin’s Day then that’s what you’ll get for the next six weeks.

Sadly for us Irish, it was drizzling for most of the day yesterday which doesn't look good if you were to believe St Swithin. However, we can take solace in the fact that 'St Swithin’s Day' is an English thing, so hopefully we’ll be alright for the next month or so. Unless you’re extremely superstitious.

According to Met Eireann, today will start off cloudy and murky with outbreaks of rain together with some fog along southern and western coasts. It will become dryer and brighter as the day progresses and we might even see a few scattered sunny spells too.

Tomorrow doesn’t look any better with weather staying fairly bleak as outbreaks of light rain and drizzle hit the country, and fog will persist along some coasts.

Wednesday will see some showery outbreaks of rain, which will become heavy at times, but Thursday and Friday don’t look too bad, as it will be dryer across much of the country on both days.

There will be a few scattered showers on Thursday, but this is Ireland after all. You can’t expect it to be sunny for too long.

Check out met.ie for a better look at the week’s weather.

In case you were wondering where St Swithin comes into this:

St Swithun's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St Swithun's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mare