The fine weather isn't going anywhere just yet.

There are plenty of more important things to worry about, but one pleasant aspect of the last couple of weeks in lockdown has been the weather, which, for the most part, has been splendid. Mild, sunny days with precious little wind or rain have become a fixture of the last fortnight or so and the good news is there’s plenty more of where that came from until next weekend at least. The outlook for this week, according to Met Éireann, is for mainly dry and sunny weather throughout the week, with only patches of rain right through until Saturday, when conditions might begin to take a turn for the worse. Every day up until Saturday is expected to be dry with plenty of sunshine, with temperatures reaching highs of 20 degrees on Thursday after mist and drizzle in the morning. While Thursday is set to be the hottest day, similar temperatures will prevail for most of the week, with highs of 18 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, 19 degrees on Wednesday and 17 degrees on Friday. Rain is expected at times throughout the week, but it is not expected to be heavy or persistent when it does arrive. Some showers are forecast in Connacht on Tuesday evening and patchy drizzle will become more frequent closer to the weekend before scattered showers become more prevalent on Saturday. While it’s early days yet, Met Éireann is predicting rain and unsettled conditions next Sunday (26 April) and a sharp drop in temperatures, although it is expected to warm up again – albeit with more scattered showers – by Monday. We’ll worry about that come the weekend; for now, enjoy the good weather while it lasts, while keeping to a 2km radius from your home when out exercising, of course.