Heavy rain, low temperatures and snow are expected across the country this evening as Met Eireann issued a yellow weather warning.

But weather forecasters are saying ‘bring a hood, not an umbrella’ to St Patrick’s Day festivities as conditions will be greatly improved by then.

There is a snow warning for northern counties tonight – mainly in Donegal, but there is a possibility that it will stretch across the country from Mayo to Cavan.

Met Eireann forecaster Siobhan Ryan said that overall wet and windy weather is expected from 9pm tonight. Low temperatures will mean that some of the rain will turn to snow, but that the weather will improve after that.

“The weather is unsettled over the weekend but there is a slow improvement by the time we reach Monday,” she told independent.ie.

“St Patrick’s Day will be cold and blustery.

“There is a yellow rainfall warning of between 25 – 30mm rainfall from 9pm tonight until midday tomorrow.

“The heaviest rain is over the south west and north midlands with spot flooding and surface weather. There will be driving rain along the coast.

“As it moves up towards Donegal, temperatures overnight are cold and heavy rain will give way to snow.

“It will be mainly wet snow, and on the higher ground a dusting of snow.

“In Munster there will be heavy enough folds of rain, in east Leinster and Waterford, it will be wet and windy.”

Siobhan said that the worst of the weather will clear throughout the morning but there will be some scattered showers with hail or thunder.

“It will be colder over the day, the skies might brighten and the  rain give way to blustery showers. Tomorrow night will be quite cold with a brisk breeze throughout,” she said.

“On St Patrick’s Day temperatures are a bit better, bring a hood rather than umbrella, wrap up for it – it will be cooler than what they should be given the time of year.

“Next week is much milder, calmer spring-like weather.”

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