THE RECENT SUNNY spell is set to come to an end today, with Met Éireann forecasting a breezy day with rain across the country.

Temperatures are set to drop to between 13 and 17 degrees, closer to the May average than the past weekend.

There’ll be a grey start to the day, with rain spreading eastwards across the country during the morning and afternoon, turning heavy at times, and lingering in the southeast until evening.

The rain will be followed by a band of showers and some will be heavy, especially in northern areas, the national meteorological service said.

There will be some late evening sunny spells in the west and northwest once the showers clear. We can also expect moderate to fresh and gusty southerly winds, increasing to strong at times. Night time temperatures will be seven to 11 degrees.

The rain and scattered showers are forecast to continue throughout the week, but the weekend will bring warmer, more settled conditions.