Great stuff.
It’s a new year.
There’s no getting away from it.
There’s no getting away from the weather, either, as it is a tangible presence that affects us at every turn.
So, with that in mind, how does the first weekend of 2020 look?
The answer is… January.
Yep, it’s not amazing. It’s not terrible, either. Call it a mixed bag.
Friday night – 3 January – should continue dry in most areas according to the latest forecast from Met Éireann, but you can also anticipate a mix of cloud and clear spells.
The west and north of the country should experience the thickest of the clouds alongside some patchy light rain or drizzle. Munster and Leinster, meanwhile, will have clear skies and patchy frost.
Lowest temperatures will range between two and five degrees, generally.
Saturday will be a notably cloudier affair as the weekend kicks in. Bright and sunny breaks are expected, however, and will be at their sharpest in the east and southeast.
As the day opens up, scattered patches of light rain or drizzle should affect western and northern counties, eventually spreading nationwide.
The forecast notes that this will be a small amount, though, with dry conditions in place most of the time against a temperature backdrop of seven to 10 degrees.
Expect fresh to strong and gusty winds near west and northern coasts, too.
Saturday night will be a mixture of cloudy and clear with “occasional” light rain and drizzle for company. Isolated mist patches are expected on hills and coasts alongside lows of five to eight degrees.
As for Sunday, “breezy and rather cloudy overall” is the verdict.
Outbreaks of rain will hit Connacht, west Ulster and west Munster, though it should stay mostly dry elsewhere with some sunshine happening along every now and then.
Sunday will also bring the highest temperatures so far, too, ranging between nine and 11 degrees in moderate to fresh southwesterly winds.
Speaking of, the evening will be blustery enough as the clouds thicken across the country and rain pushes in off the Atlantic towards Monday morning.
Lows of six to eight degrees are predicted, with winds nearing gale force on the coasts.
The early outlook for next week doesn’t make for the most splendid of reading, either, with both Monday and Tuesday seeing more outbreaks of rain and drizzle along with strong winds.
That said, it should be cool and bright so… we’ll take it?
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