Summer is officially set to make a welcome return to Irish shores next weekend.
A Met Éireann forecaster said today that there is hope that "BBQ weather is on the way" but it will become clearer how hot it will get as the week progresses.
Temperatures are expected to improve gradually from Thursday onwards, reaching possible highs of up to 23C.
But the hot weather may not reach all areas of the country next weekend, with bad news for those in counties like Mayo, Galway and Donegal, where it will be cooler with some light rain still possible.
Met Éireann forecaster Emer Flood told the Irish Mirror: “The hope is that BBQ weather is on the way for most areas next weekend but we’ll have to see as the week progresses how warm it’s actually going to get.”
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She explained: “There is a large area of high pressure positioned over the Azores at the moment and that high will start to build towards us as the week progresses.
“Unfortunately, there will still be some weak fronts skirting around the north of the high, bringing some light rain or drizzle at times particularly towards the first half of the week, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
"But from Thursday onwards, we will really start to see an improvement in conditions.”
However, despite things heating up, there will be quite a bit of cloud cover meaning that we could experience warm and humid conditions without the sunshine.
“There will also be a good bit of cloud around so whilst it will be feeling a lot more humid and getting warmer as the week progresses, there’s not going to be wall-to-wall sunshine across the country," she said.
“There’s still a chance of the odd spot of drizzle or light showers moving in off the sea to west and north-western areas even later in the week, so conditions could be dull and drizzling at times for those locations.
“But for most of the country from Thursday onwards and next weekend it is looking like it will be mainly dry. The best of the sunshine will generally be in eastern and southern parts."
Ms Flood said that temperatures will be creeping up day-on-day from Tuesday, reaching up to 21C on Wednesday, with the hot weather expected to peak next weekend.
It will be most noticeable in places in the Midlands, Leinster and Munster, with the best chance of sunny spells in these areas.
But despite most of the country experiencing "BBQ weather", it may not reach parts of the west and north west of Ireland.
“From Thursday onwards, it will get a good deal warmer across most of the country," she said.
"By Friday or next weekend, a lot of places will be hitting the 19 and 20 degree mark, and much of the south and east could be in the low 20s by Friday.
“At the moment it looks like the high will continue over us by next weekend so that will allow those temperatures to increase a little.
“I'm not too certain what we could be expecting this far out but [temperatures in] the low 20s in many areas is possible next weekend. I think 22 and 23 degrees degrees is possible for a lot of areas next weekend.
“Unfortunately, far west and north west, parts of Mayo, Galway and Donegal will still be stuck with 16 to 19 degrees at best.
"There will be some possible drizzle and it will be pretty cloudy over there next weekend while other people are getting sunnier weather."
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