Weather
Overview
Leinster
Today
Mostly dry this evening with just isolated showers in fresh and gusty southwest winds.
Tonight
Showers will clear early tonight. However, a band of rain will spread from the southwest later in the night, turning heavy in places. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in moderate southerly winds.
Tomorrow
Becoming very windy on Saturday. Rain will clear northeastwards on Saturday morning. Sunny spells and blustery showers following, and some of the showers will be heavy. Showers may merge to give longer spells of rain across the northern half of the province. Maximum temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in very strong and gusty westerly winds.
National
Tonight
Continuing blustery tonight with showers becoming confined to Ulster at first. However, a spell of rain will arrive in the southwest by around midnight, extending northeastwards across the country overnight. A clearance will follow into the southwest by dawn on Saturday and it will turn windy there. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in moderate southerly winds, strengthening later.
Tomorrow
Becoming very windy on Saturday. On Saturday morning, rain will continue to push northeastwards over Ireland, becoming confined to north Ulster by the afternoon. Sunny spells and blustery showers will follow across the rest of the country, some of the showers will be heavy and with hail. Maximum temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees in very strong west to northwest winds, with damaging gusts.
Outlook
Overview: Staying unsettled with wet and blustery weather at times. Saturday night: Winds will gradually ease on Saturday night as showers become isolated and mostly restricted to north Ulster. However, later in the night, a further spell of rain will push in across Munster and Connacht, extending across the rest of the country by dawn on Sunday. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees with fresh and gusty westerly winds, backing southerly and moderating. Sunday: On Sunday, rain will clear northeastwards during the morning to leave a day of sunny spells and showers. Some of the showers heavy and prolonged, especially in the west. Becoming windy with fresh to strong southwest winds developing through the day. Highest afternoon temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees. Rain or showers will clear eastwards on Sunday night and it will turn mostly dry and rather chilly. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in moderate westerly winds. Monday: At present, Monday looks set to be a mostly dry day with spells of sunshine and just the odd shower. However, outbreaks of rain are likely to develop in the southwest by evening. Maximum temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees in a moderate southerly breeze. Showery rain is expected to extend northwards over the country on Monday night accompanied by a fresh southerly breeze. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 6 degrees in northern parts at first but turning milder overnight with temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees nationwide by dawn on Tuesday. Tuesday: Early indications suggest Tuesday will be a cloudy day with scattered outbreaks of rain along with areas of mist and drizzle. Maximum temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees in generally light and variable winds.
Weather Warnings
Yellow
National Weather Warning
None
Issued: 8 December 2023 18:51
Validity: 9 December 2023 08:00 to 10 December 2023 21:00
Marine Weather Warnings
Yellow
Gale Warning
West to northwest winds will increase to gale force 8 or strong gale force 9 at times tomorrow on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea.
Issued: 8 December 2023 18:51
Yellow
Small Craft Warning
West to southwest becoming south winds will reach force 6 or higher at times this evening and tonight on all Irish coasts.
Issued: 8 December 2023 18:51
Coastal Reports
Malin Head Automatic
South-Southeast, 16 Knots, Gust 27 Knots, Light rain, 5 Miles, 984, Falling
Dublin Airport
Southwest, 15 Knots, Gust 29 Knots, Recent rain shower, 10 Miles, 994, Steady
Buoy M5 51° 41'N 6° 42'W
West-Southwest, 26 Knots, Gust 35 Knots, Wave ht: 4.8 m, The visibility at Tuskar is greater than 10 Miles, 999, Steady
Roches Point Automatic
West-Southwest, 21 Knots, Fair, 7 Miles, 999, Steady
Sherkin Island Automatic
West-Southwest, 19 Knots, Mist, 4 Miles, 999, Steady
Valentia Automatic
Southwest, 12 Knots, Fair, 7 Miles, 998, Steady
Mace Head Automatic
West-Southwest, 30 Knots, Gust 43 Knots, Mist, 2 Miles, 992, Rising slowly
Belmullet Automatic
West-Southwest, 21 Knots, Gust 34 Knots, Rain shower, 1.2 Miles, 988, Rising
Buoy M2 53° 29'N, 5° 26'W
South-Southwest, 24 Knots, Wave ht: 2.4 m, 995, Steady
Buoy M3 51° 13'N, 10° 33'W
Southwest, 21 Knots, Wave ht: 5.9 m, 999, Falling slowly
Buoy M4 55° 0'N 10° 0'W
Northwest, 19 Knots, Wave ht: 5.8 m, 985, Rising rapidly
Buoy M6 53° 4'N 15° 56'W
Southwest, 13 Knots, Wave ht: 5.1 m, 992, Falling slowly
Sea Area Forecast
Sea Area Forecast until 1700 Saturday 9 December 2023. Issued at 1700 Friday 8 December 2023.
Meteorological Situation at 1500: Low Pressure of 982hPa centred 90 nautical miles west of Malin Head extends a strong to gale force southwesterly airflow over Ireland. A weak ridge will follow for a time tonight before another area of low pressure tracks close to the north coast tomorrow as a very strong west to northwest airflow develops over Ireland.
Forecast for Irish coastal waters from Fair Head to Howth Head to Carnsore Point and for the Irish Sea
Wind: Southwest force 6 or 7, occasionally gale force 8 imminent. Soon decreasing southerly force 5 or 6. Later increasing west to northwest gale force 8 or strong gale force 9.
Weather: Rain in the north clearing imminent to isolated showers. Further rain imminent and soon. Fair weather with scattered showers following to the south later.
Visibility: Moderate or poor in rain or showers.
Forecast for Irish coastal waters from Carnsore Point to Mizen Head to Erris Head
Wind: West to southwest force 6 or 7. Decreasing southerly force 5 or 6 imminent. Soon increasing west force 6 to gale force 8 and further increasing west to northwest force 7 to strong gale force 9 later. Moderating force 6 or 7 towards the end of the period.
Weather: Fair or cloudy at first, apart from mist or drizzle. Rain soon. Scattered showers later.
Visibility: Moderate or poor in rain or showers or mist. Otherwise good,
Forecast for Irish coastal waters from Erris Head to Malin Head to Fair Head
Wind: Westerly or cyclonic force 5 to 7, decreasing west to northwest force 4 to 6 imminent. Soon becoming southerly force 3 to 5. Later increasing west to northwest force 7 to strong gale force 9.
Weather: Rain in the north clearing imminent to isolated showers. Further rain soon and later.
Visibility: Moderate or poor in rain or showers.
Outlook for a further 24 hours until 1700 Sunday 10 December 2023: Strong to gale force west to northwest winds becoming fresh to strong west to southwest winds for a time. Strong to near gale southeast winds later with southwest gales or strong gales along Atlantic coasts by the end of the period. Further rain or showers.