Temperatures to be lower than expected today as persistent rain forecast this afternoon

Families crossing the pontoon as they head to the beach in the afternoon sunshine at Barleycove in West Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

It's beginning to look like people can put away their barbeques for another day as it appears the weather isn't going to be as good today as we had hoped.

Despite forecasts from earlier in the week predicting soaring temperatures of around 25C in parts of the country, Met Éireann says the majority of places will reach highs of just 15C to 19C, while areas in the south and southeast may reach as high as 22C.