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09th Apr 2020

Temperatures to hit 20 degrees on Good Friday ahead of mixed Easter weekend

Conor Heneghan

Weather this weekend

The weather will be pleasant at times over the Easter weekend, but please stay at home.

Temperatures are set to reach highs of 20 degrees on Good Friday ahead of a weekend where there is set to plenty of sunny spells interspersed with no shortage of rain showers.

According to Met Éireann, Thursday and Friday will see the best of the weather over the coming days, with temperatures hitting highs of 19 degrees today and 20 degrees tomorrow. It will be generally warm and sunny during that time, with only occasional showers as the day progresses on Friday.

Temperatures will drop slightly on Saturday with highs of 17 degrees, but it will be generally cloudier than Thursday and Friday, with more showers forecast, particularly later in the evening and on Saturday night.

It’s a similar story on Easter Sunday, when temperatures will dip slightly once more and there’ll be plenty of dry and bright spells mixed in with the odd shower here and there.

Easter Monday will be mainly dry and sunny, but with gusty winds and temperatures reaching no higher than 14 degrees, it will feel a lot fresher than in previous days.

The longer-term forecast for next week is for more mild, dry and sunny weather, though it will become cooler at night with the prospect of mist and ground frost in places.

The forecast for decent weather comes amid pleas from An Garda Síochana and Minister for Health Simon Harris to avoid all but essential travel over the Easter weekend.

On Wednesday, An Garda Síochána announced details of Operation Fanacht, which will see checkpoints erected on a number of major routes throughout Ireland where Gardaí will be deployed to prevent non-essential travel. The operation will remain in effect until midnight on Monday (13 April).

The operation was announced after Minister for Health Simon Harris signed regulations on Tuesday evening granting Gardaí powers to enforce various restrictions relating to social distancing.

Under the regulations, Gardaí will now be able to arrest and detain those found to be in breach of the regulations – such as travelling for non-essential purposes, or exercising outside of a two kilometre radius from one’s home.

Convictions on these charges can result in a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a fine of €2,500.

Amid reports of heavy traffic southbound on the N11 Dublin to Wexford road on Wednesday evening, meanwhile, North Wexford Sinn Féin Councillor Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin issued a renewed appeal to visitors from outside the county, particularly from Dublin, not to travel to Wexford this weekend.

“I am appealing to our Dublin friends, please stay at home, for now,” he said.

“This is a life-and-death issue. You are putting lives at risk!”

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