Weekend washout: Met Éireann issues status yellow rain warning for Munster

The weather warning is also in place in Carlow, Galway, Kilkenny, Kerry and Wexford

People walking in the sleet and rain on Cork City's South Mall. The forecaster is warning of 'heavy rain and a few thundery downpours' that may lead to spot flooding. File picture: Dan Linehan

A weekend washout is in store with a status yellow rain warning set to hit much of the southern half of the country on Friday.

Met Éireann issued the status yellow rain warning for Munster, Galway, Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford with the warning coming into effect at 2pm on Friday.

The forecaster is warning of "heavy rain and a few thundery downpours" that may lead to spot flooding until the warning elapses at 2pm on Saturday.

For the rest of the country, Friday will see "showers or longer spells of rain" develop in the southeast around lunchtime and these will extend northwestwards to all areas through the afternoon and evening.

Despite the rain, it will be mild with highest temperatures of 11C to 15C expected. However, it will get colder as the weekend goes on. 

On Saturday, more rain is expected with temperatures falling back to 9C to 13C. The wet weather will continue into Saturday night with "further showers or longer spells of rain" expected. 

However, the rain will become "lighter and patchier overnight" and it will turn drier in the West, according to Met Éireann. 

Sunday will see the best of the weekend weather but it will be chillier than it has been this week with temperatures of 8C to 11C expected.

"Patchy rain and drizzle will gradually clear eastwards with drier, brighter weather following from the West and with sunny spells developing," Met Éireann said. 

It will again be dry on Sunday night with clear spells expected but it will be cold. Met Éireann is forecasting lows of 0C to 4C. 

Looking into next week, Monday will also be dry "with bright or sunny spells" with rain not setting in until the country sees some light rain and drizzle overnight and into Tuesday. 

Nighttime temperatures on Monday will also rise slightly to around 2C to 6C. 

The overnight rain on Tuesday will gradually clear leaving a bright day with "some sunny intervals developing". Wednesday and Thursday are set to follow suit although there will be some patchy rain at times, mainly in the west.