Northern Ireland weather: Good news for gardeners and farmers as rain forecast over Bank Holiday weekend

After the high of Killowen yesterday today will still be dry with sunny spells and ‘mist patches quickly clearing to leave a dry and mostly cloudy day with some sunny intervals’.

The Met Office adds there will be ‘longer sunny spells developing through the afternoon’ with ‘light winds’ but a ‘little cooler than recent days’.

There will be a maximum temperature 18 °C.

And tonight will be a ‘dry evening with late sunny spells’.

It adds that it will ‘remain dry overnight with largely clear skies developing leading to a chilly night with some mist patches forming’.

There will be a minimum temperature 1 °C.

But Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick says that ‘Friday is all change with development going on across the Atlantic bringing with it outbreaks of rain and stronger winds and showers from time to time with areas of low pressure, as high pressure slowly drifts away’.

She adds that the weekend will not be ‘a total washout’ as it is ‘still warm and pleasant but with a different feel’.

The Met Office Northern Ireland weather advises that Friday will be ‘dry with sunshine to start before turning cloudier from the west through the morning’.

‘Remaining cloudy in the afternoon with outbreaks of at times heavy rain spreading eastwards Maximum temperature 19 °C.’ they add.

Meanwhile looking further ahead the outlook for Saturday to Monda is ‘unsettled and cloudy with showers or at times longer spells of rain giving some heavy downpours at time’.

‘Winds strengthening with a risk of coastal gales on Sunday and Monday’.

And for more clarity the weather from Monday 26 May - Wednesday 4 Jun is forecast as: ‘Sunshine and blustery showers for much of the UK on Bank Holiday Monday, with the heaviest and most frequent showers in the northwest.

‘The southeast will likely end up driest and brightest.

‘Temperatures are expected to vary from below normal in the northwest to above normal in the southeast.

‘Through the rest of this period, changeable conditions are expected with weather systems moving in from the Atlantic, these bringing outbreaks of rain and strong winds at times.

‘Wettest conditions are likely to be in the west and northwest, conditions driest in the sheltered east and southeast.

‘Some dry, bright interludes are likely between systems.

‘Temperatures are expected to be close to average or slightly above’.

And looking even further ahead – Thursday 5 Jun - Thursday 19 Jun – the forecast is: ‘Changeable weather across the UK at first, with a mixture of Atlantic weather systems moving in from the west at times, interspersed with some drier, brighter periods.

‘Later in this period there is the potential for drier conditions to become more prevalent.

‘Temperatures are most likely to be near normal or slightly above, perhaps with some hot spells at times’.