New Year's weather forecast from Met Éireann as celebrants prepare to ring in 2024

Revellers planning to ring in the New Year this evening should wrap up well with Met Eireann forecasting strong gusts, thunder and hail.

It's set to be a windy night with scattered showers, however many areas should escape the showers making for what one expert called "not too bad a night to be out".

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather said: "A windy New Year’s Eve with some showers but many areas escaping the showers so not too bad a night to be out."

New Year's Eve will be breezy with scattered showers and occasional bright periods. Some of the showers will be heavy and there is a chance of hail and thunder. Highest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees with a fresh to strong and gusty westerly wind, very strong in the southwest.

Tonight

The showers will gradually become confined to the northern half of the country during the evening but will remain heavy and possibly thundery in the northwest. The fresh to strong westerly winds will slowly ease overnight with temperatures dropping down to 1 to 4 degrees.

New Year's Day

A mix of sunny spells and just a few isolated showers at first but cloud will build during the day with rain spreading across the country from the southwest during the afternoon and evening. The rain will be heavy at times. Highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees with a light to moderate south to southeast wind, increasing fresh to strong later.

Cloudy with rain over southern counties at first, gradually spreading north through the night. The rain will be heavy at times accompanied with blustery winds. Lowest temperature of around 2 to 5 degrees.

Tuesday

A rather unsettled day and cloudy day with scattered showers and blustery winds. Some isolated sunny spells will develop across eastern counties however. Highs of 7 to 10 degrees in a freshening southwest breeze.

Staying rather cloudy then through the night with the showers becoming confined to western and northern counties. Lowest temperatures of 1 to 4 degrees in a moderate westerly breeze.

Wednesday

A mix of cloud and some sunny spells then for Wednesday but some showers will move into western and northern counties during the morning and afternoon. Staying mostly dry across Leinster and east Munster with highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees in a moderate westerly breeze.

Scattered cloud and long clear spells later in the evening but a few showers will persist along Atlantic coastal counties. Staying mostly dry overnight then across much of the south and east. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees.

Thursday

Looking ahead to Thursday and current model indications are for the unsettled weather to continue with a mix of cloud and showers for most counties. The best of the dry weather looks again to be in the east. Highs of around 4 to 8 degrees in a westerly breeze.