The pleasant weather is back - but will it last?

Irish weather sure has a way of lulling us into a false sense of security.

Just as we were starting to get used to the hot weather earlier this week, along came some dreary showers just to remind us where we are.

But are today’s pleasant conditions a sign of things to come?

The answer is no, not really.

There are some scary-looking rainclouds on the way folks, but the good news is that they’ll be mostly around overnight and in the mornings, giving us all a great excuse for that well-deserved weekend lie-in.

First things first - today’s weather ain’t half bad and so get out and make the most of it if you can.

Met Éireann tells us to expect “some sunny spells developing this afternoon/evening and just the odd light shower”, with light breezes and highs of 21C. Well, it sure beats rain and drizzle.

Mostly dry and bright today with just the odd light shower. Good sunny spells in the southeast but rather cloudy elsewhere. Highs of 17-21C.

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) July 22, 2016

Once we get into the weekend however, things get a little more … fluid.

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We can expect some overnight rain tonight and these should persist through the morning.

But by afternoon, Met Éireann assures us that the most we can expect is “passing showers” and it will be “generally dry with good sunny spells” otherwise, with maximum temperatures ticking up to 22C.

Don’t let that sunshine fool you into thinking you can safely leave the brolly at home if you’re planning a night out – there is a whopping great weather front moving in that will have the country drenched by dawn.

Once that beast moves away, it will be “bright and fresh with occasional showers but also good spells of sunshine”, but with some moderate westerly breezes taking the edge off those warm 18-22C temperatures.

Looking further into the week, the familiar outlook of “sunny spells and showers” is on the horizon, with some fresh and blustery westerly winds keeping our beaches and beer gardens relatively untroubled.

But hey, it could be worse here - England has issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain for this weekend.

A yellow severe weather warning for #rain has been issued: https://t.co/TmvTfmDfrK. Stay #weatheraware @metofficeuk pic.twitter.com/ei0Di8muJN

— Met Office (@metoffice) July 22, 2016