'Blast of winter' - Temperatures to plunge to -4 in chilling Ireland weather forecast

Ireland looks set to be gripped by "a blast of the new winter season" next week as weather experts monitor a major cold spell.

Cathal Nolan from Ireland's Weather Channel made the prediction in his latest weather forecast and warned of hard overnight frosts and temperatures as low as -4 degrees.

He said: "It’s about to turn a lot colder next week with the first true Arctic blast of the new winter season ahead of us. Daytime temperatures through the first half at least of next week will struggle to reach about 5-7 degrees Celsius in places, with severe night frosts likely with temperatures of -3 or -4 possible in some areas.

"The weather during this period looks like being mostly settled, though the ECMWF is trying to generate an area of low pressure that could generate some persistent showery spells of, perhaps, wintry precipitation, especially over the higher ground of northern parts of the country."

Between now and then, rain is the biggest factor on the weather front for Ireland. Cathal explained: "In the meantime however flooding is our primary concern, both today [Tuesday, Nov 11], and certainly so on Friday as two periods of heavy rain will occur with southern and eastern parts most at risk of seeing the heaviest falls. In general, between these two episodes, and some smaller falls of rain tomorrow [Wednesday], up to 140mm is possible.

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Met Éireann has not yet given an update for next week but agrees that this week will be hugely unsettled.

Their latest forecast says: "Mist and fog will be slow to clear from some areas [Wednesday] morning. After a mainly dry start with just isolated showers, cloud and outbreaks of rain will move into the south later in the morning and will move northwards through the day, turning heavy at times. Northern areas will stay largely dry until evening. Highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees with light to moderate east to northeast or variable winds.

"Rather wet and unsettled with rain spreading up from the south during the evening and with heavy falls at times too. Quite cloudy across the northern half of the country with rain developing later in the night. Winds becoming northeasterly during the night with lowest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees."

Their Thursday forecast adds: "Quite a cloudy morning overall with rain lingering across the northern half of the country. Elsewhere it'll be largely cloudy but should be mostly dry apart from some light patchy rain in places. Northeasterly breezes and highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees.

"Overcast and damp overall with rain developing in southern counties later in the night. The rain will spread across the southern half of the country overnight and will be heavy in places. Remaining cloudy but mostly dry elsewhere. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees with freshening easterly breezes."

For Friday, they say: "Rain will spread north through the country from early morning with heavy falls in the south. The rain will be persistent through the afternoon particularly across Munster and Leinster. Northern areas will be cloudy with outbreaks of light rain. Fresh easterly breezes and highest temperatures of 8 to 13 degrees."

The Met Éireann weekend outlook is also bleak: "Early indications suggest that the weekend will be very unsettled with spells of rain or showers but some drier weather more likely for Sunday. Rather cloudy overall with temperatures falling back to around average."