A WET AND blustery week is in store, with the chance of wintry spells too.

This afternoon, heavy showers continue to spread from the west, with a chance of hail or isolated thunderstorms and severe gusts to come in western coastal areas.

A Status Yellow wind warning is currently in place for several western counties, including Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Galway and Mayo.

This warning will last until midnight and Met Éireann warns that potential impacts could include fallen trees and branches, difficult travelling conditions, large coastal waves and potentially damaging gusts.

Elsewhere tonight, widespread heavy showers will continue, some falling as hail or sleet and snow possible on high ground.

There will be lowest overnight temperatures of 0 to 4 degrees, with frost and icy stretches possible.

A cool and blustery start is in store tomorrow, with any frost and icy patches clearing through the morning.

A mix of sunny spells and showers will continue to spread from the northwest, with further wintry falls possible on higher ground.

During the evening, the showers will become more isolated, with highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees.

It will then become largely dry early on Wednesday night, with long clear spells and isolated showers and lowest temperatures of -1 to +3 degrees, with frost and icy patches developing.

But on Thursday morning, cloud will thicken from the west, with patchy light rain and drizzle spreading southeastwards across the country through the day.

The rain will then turn more persistent in the west and northwest later in the evening, with highest afternoon temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees.

More persistent rain will then spread from the northwest overnight on Thursday, though a clearance to isolated showers will move into the northwest by morning and overnight temperatures will markedly rise to 5 to 9 degrees.

Rain will clear to the southeast early on Friday morning, with sunny spells and isolated showers following from the northwest.

But some showers may turn to hail or sleet later, with highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees.

The weekend will kick off with another blustery day with sunny spells and scattered showers on Saturday.

The odd wintry shower is also possible in mountainous areas, though the showers will die out through the evening, with highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees.

Met Éireann says it will remain mixed for Sunday and early next week, with occasional outbreaks of rain, though long dry spells will occur also.