A “frosty” New Year’s Eve has been forecast by Met Éireann as conditions are expected to become very cold from next weekend.
This week will remain largely settled with mostly dry and cloudier conditions, though some “wintry precipitation” is possible in the first week of 2026, the forecaster said.
Daytime highs of 3 to 7 degrees are expected on Monday, which is set to be mostly cloudy and dry, with the exception of a few isolated patches of light rain and drizzle.
Lowest temperatures will dip to between -2 and 2 degrees in the north and west of the country, where frost is expected on Monday night. It will be less cold elsewhere with lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees forecast.
Cloudy conditions will continue on Tuesday morning, though bright or sunny spells are expected to develop throughout the day in parts of the north and west.
Highest temperatures of 3 to 8 degrees are forecast before falling to lows of -3 to 1 degrees on Tuesday night, with freezing fog expected to develop in some areas.
New Year’s Eve will start out “frosty”, Met Éireann said, with fog and freezing fog slow to clear. Sunny spells are expected to develop throughout the day, which will remain dry but “chilly” amid temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees.
Atlantic coasts will experience outbreaks of rain and drizzle that night, with drier spells expected elsewhere. Lowest temperatures of -2 to 3 degrees are expected as many ring in the new year.
Thursday will be a cloudy start to 2026 with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle spreading from the north. However, New Year’s Day will be “slightly milder than late” with highs of 5 to 8 degrees forecast.
As conditions are set to turn “colder again” into the first week of January, showers could spread north at times, with the potential for some “wintry precipitation”, the forecaster said.
“Current signals indicate temperatures dropping further, and conditions becoming very cold,” it said.