Hallelujah!

With umbrellas a regular sight and temperatures rarely reaching above the mid-teens, the summer of 2019 has been a damp squib so far, but things appear to be finally looking up. Conditions in recent weeks have been so dull and miserable that a forecast of what would normally be considered no more than decent weather at this time of year is something to get excited about, which looks to be what we have in store next week. Met Éireann is predicting that temperatures will reach highs of 17 to 19 degrees, maybe 20 degrees, on Tuesday of next week on what will be a mild day, mostly dry and bright, with occasional showers. Those conditions will come after a weekend that will very much continue the recent trend of poor weather, with changeable conditions forecast for throughout the country. There'll be heavy showers mixed in with occasional sunny spells and temperatures will be well below normal for this time of year, so best prepare for the worst if you're out and about over the weekend. Met Éireann has not yet provided a forecast for the weather beyond the middle of next week – Wednesday is expected to be dry and bright with temperatures hitting 18 degrees and only occasional showers – so we can only hope that it’s a sign of better things to come as we approach some of the longest days of the year. The summer of 2018 feels like a long, long time ago at this stage.