THE WET START to summer may finally give way to some extended warm sunshine – but not until next Tuesday, according to forecasters.

Met Éireann is predicting that Tuesday could touch 20 degrees and be mostly dry but a showery weekend is expected first.

Ireland has been in the grips of a rainy start to June with an unusual weather system seeing Ireland and the UK stuck in an area of low pressure.

Today’s weather is expected to begin bright in many areas with some scattered showers that are to become more widespread and persistent in the afternoon.

Some thundery falls of rain could fall in some place and further heavy and thundery rain is expected in parts of Leinster and Ulster tonight.

The forecast for tomorrow is a largely unsettled with heavy rain in the northeast and east that will give way to a “bright, fresh day, countrywide”.

Met Éireann cautions however that there will also be scattered showers throughout the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be between 13 to 15 degrees.

On Sunday, the outlook is similar with a bright but showery day that will see rain turning heavy in the afternoon with the potential for thundery downpours.

Monday is also expected to be showery before the rain clears on Tuesday, making way for mostly dry and bright conditions “with sunny spells at times in most places”.

Met Éireann forecasts that temperatures will range between “17 to 19 maybe 20 degrees”.