New Year's Eve will be dry for many but temperatures set to plummet

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025 - 15:06

Steve Neville

Temperatures are set to drop to lows of -2C to -3C this week as the country prepares to ring in the new year.

Revellers looking to celebrate New Year's Eve can expect cold conditions but dry spells in most areas with only a few outbreaks of rain or drizzle.

According to Met Éireann, Tuesday will start cloudy but will turn brighter as the day goes on, with bright or sunny spells developing.

Most areas will be dry with just the odd spot of drizzle in the south and east, but it will be cold with temperatures not rising above 7C.

Tuesday night will stay dry with clear spells expected, but the mercury is set to plummet to lows of -3C with fog or freezing fog developing in places.

Met Éireann is predicting that Wednesday, the last day of 2025, will start out frosty with any overnight fog being slow to clear. Sunny spells will develop throughout the day, and it will stay dry.

The forecaster has said it will be "chilly" with temperatures of just 2C to 6C expected.

On New Year's Eve night, outbreaks of rain and drizzle "will move in over Atlantic coasts overnight with drier spells elsewhere". Temperatures will again fall below freezing, with Met Éireann predicting lows of -2C to 3C.

Cloudy start to 2026

2026 will begin with a cloudy start on Thursday with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle spreading from the north. The good news is that it will be milder, with temperatures of 5C to 8C expected.

Looking into next weekend, Met Éireann says it is likely to turn colder again, "but with high pressure nearby, many places will stay dry".

"However, showers may spread from the north at times with the potential for some wintry precipitation," Met Éireann said.

"Current signals indicate temperatures dropping further, and conditions becoming very cold."