Northern Ireland weather: Keep your shorts handy this weekend as temperatures to hit around 22C as fine spell continues

Meteorologist Clare Nasir, from the Met Office, said that this weekend Northern Ireland was ‘in line for some dry, fine and lovely sunshine over the next few days with Sunday seeing temperatures up to 22C’.

The great news comes as the Met Office confirms that today had ‘a chilly start for many then dry with good spells of sunshine around, especially through the morning with cloud tending to increase this afternoon’.

They add that winds will be ‘mainly light’ but ‘feeling warm in the sunshine’.

Meteorologists said there would be a maximum temperature 18 °C.

And tonight, is expected to be ‘dry with some late sunny spells this evening, with long clear spells developing overnight’.

They add that ‘with light winds, a few mist or fog patches are possible’.

There will be a minimum temperature of 4 °C.

Tomorrow(Friday) will have a ‘rather chilly, but largely sunny, start but cloud bubbling up to leave the afternoon dry with some warm sunny spells’.

The Met Office add there will be ‘mainly light winds’ and a maximum temperature of 19 °C.

And the outlook for Saturday to Monday is that it will ‘remain largely dry and settled with clear or warm or very warm sunny spells through the weekend’.

They add that is is ‘becoming cloudier overnight into Monday with risk of some heavy, showery rain’.

And looking further ahead, the Met Office forecast from Monday 12 May - Wednesday 21 May is: ‘Much of this period is looking dry across most of the UK, with clear or sunny spells for many areas, as high pressure likely dominates the weather pattern across the UK.

‘However, at the start of this period, thicker cloud with some rain or showers, which could be heavy and thundery, is likely to affect at least the southwest of the UK, with a chance that more of the UK gets affected on Monday.

‘The end of this period may also be more unsettled, particularly towards the south or southwest, with rain or showers possible again.

‘Winds will mostly be light with daytime temperatures likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year, although there is a chance of some chilly nights in places’.

And the forecast for Thursday 22 May - Thursday 5 Jun is: ‘Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period.

‘Overall, fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this is likely to be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers, with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places.

‘Overall, temperatures will most likely be near or slightly above average’.