YOU MIGHT HAVE been dreaming of a White Christmas a couple of weeks ago but with one sleep to go, the forecast is predominantly promising a rainy Christmas Day.

Met Éireann expects showers or longer spells of rain tomorrow with afternoon temperatures of six to 10 degrees Celsius.

Winds will be light to moderate southerly breezes that veer northwesterly later in the day, introducing colder conditions and a risk of icy surfaces.

In the northwest, showers are expected to turn to sleet and snow over high ground in the evening.

Tomorrow night will be cold with a widespread frost and possibly some ice developing under mostly clear skies, according to Met Éireann.

“However there will be a few wintry showers about too, mainly affecting northwestern coastal counties. Lowest temperatures of minus two to plus two degrees, in light to moderate northwesterly winds, fresher near the coast.”

St Stephen’s Day looks set to be cold and brighter with sunny spells and scattered showers, most frequent in western and northern coastal counties,  with highest temperatures of three to seven degrees.

“The showers early in the day may fall as sleet in some parts, or even snow at times on higher ground although they will tend to transition back to rain as the day progresses,” Met Éireann forecasts.

First, though, tonight on Christmas Eve is expected to see clear spells and scattered showers overnight, some heavy and prolonged.

In the northwest, there is a chance of isolated thunderstorms and hail and merging to longer spells of rain at times towards dawn.

Lowest temperatures tonight will be three to eight degrees, with the coldest weather in Ulster, and moderate to fresh southerly winds.

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