Met Éireann forecasts mixed conditions across the coming days 

Wednesday started windy with showery spells of rain, turning heavy at times in the north. Further south and east will stay drier with sunny spells developing. Highs of 14C to 21C are expected. Picture: Denis Minihane.

Rain, sunshine and wind will dominate this week, as Met Éireann says temperatures will reach around 21C. 

While some dry weather is expected, the weekend could see heavy, persistent falls with thundery downpours. 

Wednesday started windy with showery spells of rain, turning heavy at times in the north. Further south and east will stay drier with sunny spells developing. Highs of 14C to 21C are expected. 

It will remain cloudy in the north early on with outbreaks of rain and drizzle which will gradually ease. Elsewhere, it will be a generally dry night with clear spells and scattered showers coming in from the west. 

Thursday will be a bright day with some spells of sunshine, hazy in parts. 

There will be some scattered showers, especially further to the north and west. Highs of 15C to 21C are expected. 

It will stay dry with a mix of cloud and clear spells; scattered showers will develop over parts of the west and north at times, with lows of 9C to 13C. 

Friday will be another dry day with a mix of cloud and sunny spells. 

Later in the afternoon, cloud will start to increase with rain and drizzle moving in over parts of the southwest, west and northwest. Highs of 16C to 21C are expected.

The rain and drizzle will continue to spread further eastwards, with some heavier falls over western counties. It will be milder than previous nights, with lows of 11C to 15C. 

Looking into the weekend, Met Éireann says there is a little uncertainty in the forecast, with Saturday looking to be rather cloudy with outbreaks of rain feeding in from the southwest.

There is also a possibility of some heavy and persistent falls at times, with thundery downpours also possible. 

"As the rain clears to the east, there is a chance of brighter spells developing further west, albeit briefly," the national forecaster said. 

Highs of 16C to 20C are expected during the day, with a mix of cloud, clear spells and scattered showers - some turning heavy - dominating the night. 

Sunday then will see bright, fresh weather with scattered showers and sunny spells. 

Showers will become confined to the north and west with drier conditions developing elsewhere. Daytime temperatures of 15C to 19C are set.