'Hail and heavy downpours': Thunderstorm warning in place for 13 counties 

The warning will remain in place until 8pm this evening. File picture. 

A status yellow thunderstorm warning has been issued for 13 counties.

The warning, which came into effect at 1.46pm this afternoon, has been issued for Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan and Tipperary.

The warning will remain in place until 8pm this evening.

Met Éireann warned: “Thundery showers this afternoon and evening with hail and heavy downpours bringing the risk of spot flooding.” 

Rain is forecast for much of the country on Monday, however, showers will gradually become lighter and more isolated early tonight.

Met Éireann has said that clear spells will start to develop this evening.

“Further showers will move into western parts of Munster towards morning,” the forecaster said.

Tuesday “will start dry in many places with sunny spells”.

However, Met Éireann is predicting that “showers in west Munster will spread further inland during the morning and afternoon”.

The showers will turn “heavy and thundery again with a risk of hail and spot flooding”.

The outlook for the rest of the week will see low pressure “dominate the weather pattern” bringing some “heavy thundery showers in places, but sunny spells at times too”.

Met Éireann said that temperatures will trend generally near or slightly below average.