Be safe!

Met Eireann has issued two status yellow wind warnings for seven counties in Ireland. The first status yellow wind warning is in place for Donegal, Galway, Mayo and Kerry. That particular warning states that "southerly winds will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65 km/h with occasional gusts of 90 to 100 km/h." The warning is valid from 00:01 on Monday, 6 January and it's in place until 08:00 on the same day. Elsewhere, another status yellow wind warning is in place for Wexford, Cork and Waterford. That warning states that "in coastal areas, southerly winds will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65 km/h with occasional gusts of 90 to 100 km/h." This warning is valid from 03:00 on Monday, 6 January and it expires at 11:00 on the same day.

Status Yellow - Wind warning issued by Met Éireann. Effective early on Monday morning. For weather updates visit. https://t.co/YJqxvBBwTs pic.twitter.com/M8OA0wOnq1

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 5, 2020

In terms of the weather forecast for the week ahead, we are in a mixed bag. Met Eireann says the outlook for Monday night is for winds to freshen again as they back southerly once more, reaching gale force on the coasts again. Temperatures will fall in the early part of the night to 3 or 4 degrees, then rise overnight as the wind freshens and cloud thickens, bringing rain and drizzle in to the north and west. On Tuesday, strong southerly winds will veer westerly and steadily ease through the day. Outbreaks of showery rain will mostly affect western and northern parts of the country. Temperatures in the afternoon will be 13 or 14 degrees, dropping overnight to between 3 and 6 degrees, coldest in the north. The outlook for the midweek period is uncertain in detail with an area of low pressure tracking northwards over the country giving changeable wind patterns and bringing outbreaks of rain from the south. At the moment the suggestion is for a cold morning on Wednesday with light variable or southerly winds and, after a mainly dry start, outbreaks of rain developing from the south and west. There's a spell of heavy rain for Thursday in the south, spreading north and eastwards, then temperatures dropping through Thursday to give a cold frosty night on Thursday night. Stay wrapped up warm folks.