High pressure brings prolonged dry spell for Ireland

The next two weeks will be largely dry with a mix of sunshine and scattered cloud, with temperatures improving beyond Tuesday.

High pressure will be situated close to or over Ireland through mid-May, which will allow for the extended period of settled weather.

Temperatures will climb to above the seasonal average, rising from weekend highs of 11 to 15°C to 14 to 19°C from midweek.

Sheltered inland locations will experience a touch of frost on Sunday night and Monday night.

Some scattered light showers are likely in central locations by the end of next week, but most locations will remain completely dry.

Winds will generally be light to gentle east to northeast, which will temper daily maximums in eastern and northern counties.

Apart from the far northwest, the past week has been very dry in most areas, with little or no rainfall recorded.

With increasing Soil Moisture Deficits (SMDs), grass growth will continue to slow as the coming week progresses.

Drying conditions will remain good to excellent over the next fortnight.