North-South divide on sunshine hours
Donegal and Kerry recorded the most and least sunshine hours respectively in Ireland during the past week.
Malin Head at the northerly tip of the Inishowen Peninsula recorded 85.6 hours over the past seven days compared to the 51.1 hours of sunshine at Valentia Observatory in Kerry.
Overall, sunshine amounts have been 165% to 272% above normal at Met Éireann‘s 25 synoptic stations.
The sunny conditions will prevail through Friday, but there will be more cloud from Saturday onwards.
Temperatures will drop from present highs of 17–21°C to 10–12°C by Sunday and into next week.
Light and variable winds will shift westerly on Saturday evening as a cold front crosses the country. Winds will remain gentle, occasionally moderate, westerly through the first half of next week, but will become moderate and variable later in the week.
Rainfall totals will be close to the seasonal average up to midweek but will be above average for the second half of next week as Atlantic systems approach from the southwest.
The Easter Bank Holiday weekend weather outlook is uncertain at present, with model output varying between drier conditions and more unsettled weather with rain.
