Met Éireann issues status yellow thunderstorm warning for nine counties

Counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, Wicklow, Tipperary and Waterford have been issued the warning which became valid at 1pm this afternoon and will end at 7pm this evening.

Met Éireann has warned of hazardous travelling conditions, poor visibility, spot flooding and lightening damage.

Heavy rain is on the way for the weekend, with some of those showers developing into thundery downpours, Met Éireann has said.

The best of the weekend’s weather will be during the early parts of Friday but showers later in the day will turn heavy in parts with the chance of hail in the midlands, south and east.

The rain will become more persistent into the evening when winds will be blustery. Highest temperatures of between 13C and 16C.

There will be more showers overnight and temperatures of between 6C and 9C.

By Saturday afternoon the weather will be drier and brighter with a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers.

However, the rain could turn thundery and will be heavy too. Highest temperatures of between 14C and 17C.

Overnight, showers will die out and it will be dry in places with clear spells with some drizzle expected with temperatures of between 7C and 10C.

On Sunday, the south will experience the best of the weather where it will be bright with sunny spells, though there will be some showers at times and could be heavy too.

Further north it will be mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain and heavy bursts, Met Éireann forecasts.

Highest daytime temperatures are expected to be between 14C and 18C while overnight it will stay mild with temperatures falling to between 9C and 12C.

Next week will begin cloudy when patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle will affect many parts of the country, though the south will see sunny spells on Monday.

Later in the evening there will be dry and sunny and temperatures on Monday will be between 14C and 19C.

The mixture of sunny spells and showers will follow into Tuesday when showers are expected to die out towards the evening and temperatures forecast to be between 13C and 18C.

Later in the week the weather is expected to be changeable according to Met Éireann.

“Potentially largely dry with some sunshine on Wednesday with daytime highs in the mid-teens generally, but continuing rather changeable and mixed thereafter, with wet and breezy conditions at times, “ Met Éireann said.