Northern Ireland weather: 'Sun, showers and even a chance of snow' forecast for this week by the Met Office

“Monday and Tuesday will see a mixture of sunny spells and showers, with any rain more frequent in the west, though even here should see some good periods of sunshine over the next couple of days,” said Stephen Dixon.

"Temperatures will gradually decline from the mild conditions of recent days, and it’s Wednesday when a more widely wet day is on the way for Northern Ireland, with some gusty winds possible, especially on immediate coastlines”.

He added that “while many will see rain on Wednesday, there is a chance of a wintry mix over higher ground in Northern Ireland, with sleet and a touch of snow possible at times, though this will be quickly joined by rain”.

He added that Thursday and Friday will see a gradual drying up of the weather, with high pressure building in over much of the UK.

And this will result in drier conditions, sunny periods and a touch of cloud at times.

Mr Dixon added that “by the time we get to the weekend, all eyes look to the west again with fronts of rain waiting out to the west on Saturday and Sunday, which have the potential to glance Northern Ireland at times, though it’s still too early to be too definitive about exact timings of the extent of this”.

Meanwhile today has been a ‘mainly dry morning with sunny spells and the odd passing shower’.

It is ‘cloudier in the afternoon with showers developing more widely for a time’ and ‘brisk southwesterly winds’.

There will be a maximum temperature of 11 °C.

And tonight will be ‘rather cloudy in the west with further showers feeing in on a westerly breeze’.

The Met Office adds that it will be ‘largely dry across eastern counties with clear spells’ and a minimum temperature of 3 °C’.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be a ‘bright day with sunny spells and scattered showers’ but ‘becoming dry, clear for a time in the evening with a frost in places before rain and hill snow arrives overnight’.

There will be a maximum temperature of 9 °C.

And the outlook for Wednesday to Friday is ‘frequent showers on Wednesday, wintry on hills, dry with sunny spells on Thursday then a dry start to Friday but rain spreading east with strengthening winds’.

Meanwhile, the long distance forecast for February 28 to March 9 is: “Dry and fine with some warm sunshine for many as we finish the week and head into meteorological spring.

"Into next week, northwestern areas will likely turn cloudier with spells of rain, as Atlantic weather systems push in from the west.

"These weather fronts will mainly affect the northwest of the UK, but wet and breezy weather could spread further south and east at times.

"Generally the best of the weather is expected in the southeast.

"Here, the weather will be mainly dry and bright with light winds and warm sunshine, but occasional rain and showers are still a possibility.

"Temperatures are likely to be above average overall, perhaps a little cooler further north where it will be cloudier and breezier.”