Spring has finally arrived as temperatures set to soar ahead of the weekend

If you've been enjoying an extra Vitamin D hit for the first time in months, you're in for a treat this weekend.

Temperatures are set to rise as high as 15C on Friday, making our little rainy island as balmy (if not warmer) than summer hot spots such as Barcelona and Malta. According to Met Eireann, cloud will thicken this afternoon with scattered outbreaks of light rain and drizzle moving into Munster and west Connacht. "It'll be mild with maximum temperatures of 10C to 14C and best values across Munster and Leinster. "Patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle will develop overnight, with hill and coastal fog too, but it'll be relatively mild and frost free, with temperatures of 5C to 9C." Things are set to improve tomorrow, with the forecasters promising Friday will be cloudy and breezy with short sunny breaks. The dry weather is due to last into next week. We'll take it. After weeks of freezing winds and icy rain, we're ready to reveal our pasty limbs to the sunshine during the hottest weekend of 2017 so far. Enjoy it while you can; it'll probably be snowing by Paddy's Day.