No, we’re not getting a heatwave just yet, says Met Éireann

The weather will be good, but maybe not that good.

It's the first few days of May, so you know what that means. That's right, some people are insisting summer has begun. Wherever you stand on the whole 'May versus June' thing – it's June, though, surely? – it's fair to say the weather has lifted a little bit in the past couple of days. Why just now, dear reader, my window is wide open as mild sunshine and vaguely ominous grey clouds filter through. Reports of a potential imminent mini-heatwave are doing the rounds, too, and while the UK is set to hit heights of 23 degrees next week, it seems Ireland isn't there yet. And while we're on the subject, the above technically doesn't qualify as a heatwave, mini or otherwise. That's the verdict of Paul Downes, meteorologist with Met Éireann, who tells JOE:

“No, we’re not getting a heatwave. A heatwave is 25 degrees or more for five consecutive days – we’re a long way off that."

Temperatures are set to rise, though, right?

"I don’t think we’re looking at anything exceptional here," says Downes, adding that temperatures could indeed soar up to around 20 or 21 degrees in certain parts of the country over the weekend, though the general range is likely to lie in the high teens.

Overall, however, Downes warns that it will be quite cloudy alongside outbreaks of rain, though "slightly milder conditions" are ahead. In summary – nice weather in some spots but no cause for mass wild staycation celebration at this precise moment, perhaps. Downes does note, cheerily enough, that "not all hope is lost" and we may well have a decent summer break on the horizon, just not quite yet. https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/1522181262332542976 As for the current weekend forecast from Met Éireann as of Thursday afternoon (5 May), Friday should prove mostly dry with long clear spells and "just the odd stray shower", so that sounds pretty agreeable. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees are anticipated, as is some overnight fog. Saturday will see that fog and accompanying mist clear in the morning, though some coastal fog may stick around during the day. The day itself will be mostly dry, with a few patches of light rain and drizzle along with highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees. Saturday night, meanwhile, will see temperatures drop to between 8 and 11 degrees. As for Sunday, "a good deal of cloud" will kick things off, as will outbreaks of rain across the east of the country. Sunny spells will follow through the morning and afternoon, leading to highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees.