DANNO's THOUGHTS Jan 31 2005

*DISCLAIMER* These forecasts are experimental.

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Discussion:
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday…
The week will begin on a quiet note with high pressure to the west of Ireland. It will be rather cloudy both by day and by night. Some holes in the cloud locally will allow sunny spells by day, but a risk of frost by night, where they occur. Winds will be light, north westerly, but becoming fresh to strong on Wednesday.

Some areas, mainly to the NE of high ground will be prone to drizzle, especially in the North and East. Later on Wednesday, some thicker cloud will approach the NW coast bringing drizzle there.


Thursday:
Rain in the NW, otherwise a nice day for the rest. Winds will be strong south westerly. Later in the day, cloud will cross the country from the NW towards the SE, heralding approaching rain.

Overnight on Thursday, rain will spread to all areas before a clearance gets into the NW. By dawn, much of the rain will have cleared and a frost will set in across the North Midlands with the risk of icy stretches on roads. Some showers may affect the very NW coast by morning with some sleet.
Winds will remain fresh to strong but will back Westerly and later NW.


Friday:
Friday will see the start of a cold spell of weather setting in across the very N and NW. There will be showers of rain for all in a blustery NW wind and there will be a risk of thunder, especially over the North where there could be hail also, particularly later on in the afternoon. By evening, there will be sleet showers in the N and NW.

Overnight, winds will slacken overland, but remain fresh in the N and NW where there will be some wintry showers affecting the coastal counties over night.
A sharp to severe frost will set in inland, with the risk of some ice.


Saturday:
A bitterly cold day with sunshine and showers of rain, hail, sleet and some snow over the high ground of the N and NW. There will be a risk of thunder too in gusty NW winds. These winds will veer N later in the day and the showers will become more wintry, with snow at lower levels by evening, even in some southern areas too.

Overnight, sees showers of sleet and snow continuing for many areas, heaviest in the N and NW, where the winds will be fresh to strong, even gales offshore. The very SE will be largely clear and very frosty with lows locally down to -5c.


Sunday:
Sunday will be a day of sunny spells and wintry showers in a N or NE wind. The wind will be gusty at times with offshore gales. The showers will be largely of rain and sleet in the SW and W where temperatures will climb to 5c. Over the Northern and Eastern half of the country, showers will be of sleet or snow.

Overnight, there is a chance of persistent snowfall developing over midland and eastern areas, with showers of sleet and snow along the west coast. Some accumulations are quite possible with one to five inches possible.

Long Range forecast available on the website linked above.