If you are a warm weather lover then signs next week are good with latest models showing temperatures getting back up into the low 20s in places and possibly evening into the mid 20s from mid week onwards.

For now and for this week the weather will remain a little cooler than it has been with temperatures in the low to mid teens over the rest of this week.

This morning temperatures got down to -3.2C in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath this morning with a sharp frost for many areas. But this is not the coldest temperatures to be recorded in May. On the 4th of May 1979 the lowest may ever recorded in May was recorded in Glenties, Donegal of -5.6C

Between today (Tuesday) and Sunday this weekend rainfall amounts look very low across Ireland with some areas seen no rain at all. As a result of the recent very dry conditions in most areas and the projected dry weather for the rest of the week, there is an orange high risk forest fire warning in operation. Yesterday the 11th of May Donegal Fire service was called to 10 separate fires in one day so please be extra cautious as most of the fires started are by people. Going by the lastest outlook into next week this fire risk will rise to a Red level warning as very dry conditions look set to persist into next week with places seen drought conditions. March, April and May are on track to become possibly one of the driest springs on record in Ireland.

The attached chart below shows the total Accumulated Precipitation (Rainfall) amount expected between today Tuesday and Sunday the 17th of May. as you can see the biggest amounts are across the west, northwest and north of Ireland with much of this rainfall expected to fall on Sunday and even at that this could change with less amounts which is not good news for farmers or gardeners as growth if not great at the moment.

As mentioned above temperatures look like they could also become warmer next week also with temperatures getting back into the low to mid 20s as high pressure builds across Ireland with a nice warm southeast airflow moving up from the continent.

The latest GFS model shows pressure rising across Ireland with good spells of Sunshine next week also but we will have to see what the ECMWF and the GFS shows over the next few days to be sure of this as the ECMWF model is currently hinting at a similar outcome.

If this was to happen then the warmest parts of Ireland would be the northwest, west and southwest where temperatures of up to 24C look possible even as high as 25C if this verifies. Below i have attached a few charts showing the kind of temperatures its showing.