Met Éireann's sunshine St Patrick's Day weather forecast but it's not all good news

Met Éireann has delivered a more detailed weather forecast for St Patrick's Day and there is good and bad news for those organising and attending parades.

In its general outlook, Met Éireann says the picture is "mixed but mild" this St. Patrick's weekend with some spells of spring sunshine.

In it's longer forecast for St Patrick's Day on Sunday, they said it will be "damp locally to begin, however overall a lot of dry weather is expected with sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy ones possible."

They foresee "a mild day with highs of 12 to 14 or 15 degrees in no more than moderate southwest breezes."

Between now and then, the situation is mixed with lots of rain around with a flooding risk in southern counties.

Met Éireann said: "Thursday will be another mostly dull or overcast day with further spells of rain, heavy at times, especially across Atlantic counties with the chance of flooding. However, some drier and brighter spells may develop across east Munster and Leinster. A mild and humid day with highs of generally 11 to 14 degrees, but cooler across the far west and northwest fringes. Breezy across Leinster and Munster with fresh southwest winds, with just light variable winds elsewhere.

"Thursday night will bring scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle with low cloud and mist too. Clearer spells will develop across the West and Northwest later. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in light to moderate southwest winds, later veering west.

"Friday will begin cloudy and damp with patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle clearing eastwards. Drier and brighter weather will extend eastwards with sunny skies developing widely. Highs of 8 to 12 degrees in mostly moderate northwest winds.

"Cold, calm and clear for much of the night [on Friday] with some frost. Later on, cloudy outbreaks of rain and drizzle, along with freshening southwest winds, will move into the south and west. Lows of -2 to + 2 degrees, coldest across Ulster and north Leinster."

Forecasters predict a "wet day [on Saturday] with overnight rain extending nationwide during the morning; persisting for much of the day. Rather breezy too with moderate to fresh southeasterly winds. Highs of 9 to 13 degrees, coolest across the north.

"Showery outbreaks of rain will follow after-dark. Longer drier spells too, but overall damp and misty. Lows of 6 to 9 degrees in moderate southwesterly winds."

St Patrick's Day will be "damp locally to begin, however overall a lot of dry weather is expected with sunny spells and scattered showers, some heavy ones possible. A mild day with highs of 12 to 14 or 15 degrees in no more than moderate southwest breezes."

Bank Holiday Monday is looking like it might expect the worst of the rain early on before a change. Met Éireann said: "Late overnight rain will clear to sunshine and well scattered showers. However, a further spell of rain is likely to move in from the Atlantic later in the day. Mild and humid with highs of 12 to 15 degrees in no more than moderate southwesterly winds."