Weather - a break from the snow but what is in store for St Patrick's Day?

Donegal is set for a few days of rain and an increase in temperatures. However, this will be short lived with a return to freezing conditions my mid week.

Sunday will get off to a damp start, with cloud cover increasing, bringing more persistent, heavy rain through the afternoon and evening. 

Daytime temperatures will reach 8°C to 10°C in moderate to fresh southerly winds.

It will be windy overnight with rain clearing to widespread showers, some of which will turn heavy. Lowest temperatures of around 6°C to 8°C but falling cooler towards morning in fresh and gusty southwesterly winds.

Monday will be another day of rain with widespread showers merging to longer spells of rain.

Moderate to fresh southwest winds in the early part of the day will lead to temperatures of 8°C to 10°C. But as the winds veer northerly through the morning temperatures will drop to between around 5°C by the afternoon. This change of wind direction could see the rain turn to wintry showers especially on higher ground.

By evening, fresh northerly winds are expected to increase to strong and gusty.

Monday night will be cool with temperatures likely to drop to 4°C in northerly winds backing northwesterly by morning.

Tuesday looks like being cold and blustery with strong north westerly and westerly winds bringing wintry showers with a good chance of sleet and snow. Temperatures are not expected to exceed 5°C and windchill could leave it feeling much colder. 

Winds are forecast to drop by Tuesday evening, bringing clear spells and a further drop in temperature to as low as -2°C overnight.

Wednesday looks set to start cold and overcast, with rain by evening lasting into Thursday when temperatures will rise to around 10°C in light southerly winds.

As of now, St Patrick's Day looks like getting off to a dry start with rain by the afternoon in temperatures of up to 10°C, but it is a bit too early to say for sure.