NI warmer than Paris and Rome with wall-to-wall Spring sunshine - but pollen count high

Whilst temperatures in Paris are now 9 °C and Rome is 13 °C, we are now ‘basking’ in 14 °C around NI.

The news comes as forecasters at the Met Office confirm it will be “dry and bright” throughout NI today.

They say that after a “chilly start with a frost and some patchy mist and fog” this morning it is “otherwise bright with good sunny spells”.

They add that this afternoon will feel “pleasant in any afternoon sunshine” with “winds remaining light”.

There will be a maximum temperature of 14 °C.

Tonight, according to the Met Office will see any cloud “quickly fade away to leave a dry and chilly night with clear skies and a rural frost”.

“A few mist and fog patches possible by dawn. Minimum temperature -2 °C,” add the Met Office.

Tomorrow Northern Ireland is forecast another “Bright day with plenty of sunshine”.

Met Office forecasters say that “after a chilly start it will feel rather warm in afternoon sunshine, although onshore winds will keep it cool around the Irish Sea coast”.

There will be a maximum temperature of 14 °C.

And the outlook for Friday to Sunday is also mostly upbeat as forecasters say that it will be “mainly dry and bright on Friday” with a “bright start in the east on Saturday, but rain soon reaching Fermanagh and pushing steadily east”.

However Sunday will be “cloudy with patchy rain and drizzle”.

But hay fever sufferers will know that pollen counts have been increasing this week as it starts to make their lives a misery.

Harsh reality for sufferers comes as the Met Office confirmed that pollen counts are on the increase with high levels of birch and ash tree pollen in places today

Their post adds: “Despite it not being overly warm, strong periods of sunshine will give moderate UV levels, so remember to stay protected if you are spending a long time outside”.

Nicky Maxey from the Met Office Press Office told the News Letter that “most places across the UK are seeing temperatures into double figures with the increase in temperatures”.

“The weather into the end of this week is looking relatively fine and dry in this northerly air flow, but we are seeing temperatures returning to what we expect for this time of year on Sunday”.

She added the “pollen count is high for Northern Ireland today but returns to medium at the weekend”.

“This is tree pollen period at the moment so for people who suffer from hay fever they will be uncomfortable.”

Ms Maxey said it was “not possible” to forecast what the weather will be like this summer in Northern Ireland - but added “we can look ahead to the next month and what temperatures will be like”.

“Spring is a transition month between winter and summer and there are swings in temperature and weather type as we move from one predominantly period of winter to the more settled period of summer,” she said.

“The spring period always sees big swings before the weather become more settled in summer when we generally get warmer and drier weather.

“The early indications are that we will see some fine and dry weather and that will become prevalent as we go through May. Any further forward is too difficult to forecast as there are too many variables,” she added.