MET ÉIREANN IS forecasting another week of sunglasses and raincoats with both high temperatures and heavy rain.

Today will be dry and warm with long spells of sunshine and highest temperatures of 19 to 23 degrees. Cloud will increase at times near the west coast, but tonight will be dry and clear with some mist and fog patches.

Tomorrow the best of the weather will be across the eastern half of the country – cloud will gradually thicken in the west with heavy rain arriving during the evening. However, temperatures will still reach 23 degrees in light breezes.

There will be a wet start to Wednesday with rain clearing the east coast around midday and brightening that afternoon. Showers will affect Connacht and Ulster in the evening, but the east and south will continue to remain dry.

It will become much fresher with highest afternoon temperatures of 16 to 18 degrees in westerly breezes.

Thursday will be fresh and blustery with scattered heavy showers mixed with bright sunny spells. Temperatures will reach up to 18 degrees.

And the week will finish windy, with scattered outbreaks of rain Friday, ahead of a weekend of showers and sunny spells.