It’s going to be warmer than it was this week.

The first weekend of 2017 will bring with it a change from the rather chilly conditions we’ve experienced in recent days, with mild and mostly dry weather expected over the weekend. According to Met Éireann, although Friday got off to a bad start with persistent and heavy rain forecasted for most areas throughout the country, it will begin to become drier with maximum temperatures of up to 12 degrees in the afternoon. Similarly, mild conditions are expected to prevail on Saturday, when conditions will be mostly dry apart from occasional spells of drizzle in hilly and coastal areas. Sunday will be much like Saturday – mild and dry for the most part – although the presence of more cloud will bring with it a greater threat of rain, particularly on the Atlantic coasts. The forecast for early next week is for more changeable and unsettled conditions, with high winds, cold temperatures and, whisper it, even the possibility of sleet and snow towards the end of next week.