IRELAND IS IN for a wet and mild weekend, with spells of heavy downpours in places.

Temperatures today will be slightly cooler than average at 15 to 18 or 19 degrees.

The average temperatures for July are around 17 to 20 degrees.

Cloud will also thicken in the afternoon as outbreaks of rain and drizzle move in from the Atlantic, with the heaviest rain in the west and northwest.

The wet weather will continue overnight, with some heavy bursts and spot flooding expected and lowest overnight temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees.

A mostly wet and misty start on Saturday, with heavy and persistent rain at times, especially early on Saturday across Ulster.

Later on Saturday, Met Éireann predicts a humid day with temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees, with the highest temperatures across Leinster.

Overnight on Saturday however, further outbreaks of rain are expected, some of which will be heavy.

It will continue to be mild and humid, with overnight temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees.

But the wet theme of the weekend continues into Sunday morning, with heavy falls again predicted.

While brighter skies will gradually develop as the day progresses, scattered showers will follow into the afternoon and early evening, but the showers will become fewer later into the evening.

There’ll be highest temperatures on Sunday of 17 to 21 degrees.