The south and east of Ireland are enjoying the best of any sunny spells today, while the northwest remains under more overcast skies.

As the afternoon progresses, clearer skies will develop across much of the country, but cloud will gradually spill back into the northwest later this evening.

A satellite image from NASA’s MODIS, captured just before midday, clearly shows the dividing line between the cloudy northwest and brighter southeast.

High pressure will dominate through Friday, keeping conditions mostly dry and bright, especially across the east and south where temperatures could reach a warm 28°C.

Looking ahead to the weekend, a change is on the horizon with rain and showers expected to return to western parts, and more unsettled weather likely to spread across the country early next week.