After a weekend of rain and strong winds, Monday began with a mix of blue skies and scattered cloud.

Status Yellow wind and rain warnings were in place on Sunday and into Monday morning, with more than 10mm of rainfall recorded in the west and a gust of 101km/h measured at Mace Head in Galway.

Persistent cloud lingered in some central areas but the NASA Modis satellite captured clear skies over much of the country before midday. Coastal regions enjoyed unbroken sunshine from early morning.

Dry conditions are expected to continue until late Tuesday when patchy rain will move into western coastal counties.

Widespread rain is forecast on Wednesday as temperatures turn milder. The remainder of the week will stay unsettled with rain or showers each day.