Ireland weather: Met Éireann warns of flooding and chilly nights as temperatures set to drop

The Irish autumn is showing its teeth this weekend with a mixed bag of heavy rain, sunshine, and a chill that will see temperatures plunge as low as 3C in parts of the country.

Met Éireann has warned of spot flooding this morning in the east and northeast as bands of rain sweep across the country. The good news is that brighter spells will break through in western counties first, spreading elsewhere as the day goes on.

Tonight, however, will feel much cooler with lows of just 3 to 9 degrees. A band of heavier showers will also push eastwards overnight, bringing a damp start for some.

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Sunday looks brighter, with sunshine for many and just the odd shower. But Met Éireann says the week ahead will turn "unsettled and changeable" with rain and drizzle at times, especially in western and northern counties, while the east and south will see the best of the dry weather.

Here's how the next few days are shaping up, according to Met Éireann:

Saturday

"It'll be a wet morning to begin across the eastern half of the country, with some heavy rain continuing to spread eastwards, leading to some spot flooding, especially in the northeast. A brighter start further west with sunshine and well scattered showers." Highs of 13 to 17C.

Saturday night

"Mainly dry in most places at first… however a band of heavier showers will spread eastwards overnight, reaching the east coast later in the night." Lows of 3 to 9C.

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Sunday

"The band of showers will quickly clear from eastern parts early tomorrow morning. The rest of the day will be mainly dry with sunshine, though with a few well scattered showers developing." Highs of 13 to 17C.

Sunday night

"Mainly dry with some clear spells and with some mist and fog forming. Later in the night cloud will start to increase from the west bringing a little patchy light rain and drizzle to some western coastal parts." Lows of 5 to 11C.

Monday

"While it'll be a mainly dry day for most, there'll be a little patchy light rain and drizzle at times in the west and northwest, especially later in the day… some bright or hazy sunny spells too, mainly in the midlands, east and south." Highs of 14 to 17C.

Tuesday

"A good lot of cloud with scattered outbreaks of light rain and drizzle, along with areas of mist and hill fog. A few limited bright or sunny spells are likely." Highs of 15 to 19C.