Dry conditions expected but no snow on Christmas Day
It's unlikely that there will be any postcard-style snow pictures on Christmas Day this year.
Those dreaming of a white Christmas may have to keep on dreaming.
Forecasts from Met Éireann are indicating that Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day will see “more settled” and “drier than normal” weather.
The forecaster has issued a monthly forecast up to December 26 and the first three weeks of December are likely to see plenty of rain.
This week, a “northwesterly airflow will be predominant” and in this set up, western and northern areas will see the most rainfall.
“Rainfall during this week will be close to normal or slightly above for most of the country, with higher than normal rainfall along northwestern and northern coasts. Southern and southeastern coastal counties will have slightly drier than normal conditions,” Met Éireann has predicted.
This trend will follow for week two and three of the monthly forecast, from December 6 to December 19.
Temperatures are also expected to be slightly above average.
Week four, from December 20 to December 26, is forecasted to see high pressure become established closer to the southwest of Ireland with a weaker westerly airflow signalled over the country.
“This would introduce more settled weather overall,” the forecast is predicting.
In the run-up to Christmas Day, conditions are signalled “to be drier than normal over much of the country, with average rainfall likely in the north”.
Met Éireann has highlighted that while monthly forecasts can provide an insight into weather patterns, they should not be used for specific planning purposes as they have generally low skill compared with the 10-day forecast.
Forecasts beyond one week become increasingly uncertain due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere, Met Éireann has said.
In October, AccuWeather released a forecast for the winter season saying that in January, there could be prolonged bouts of cold air arriving in Ireland and across Northern Europe.
This could increase the opportunity for snow across the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as areas from France to Poland, especially later in the season.
Snow was seen in many parts of the UK over the weekend, as Storm Arwen wreaked havoc.
Gusts of almost 100mph caused transport disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings, while heavy snow led to lorries getting stuck and ploughs being used in a number of areas.
The UK Met Office said Shap in Cumbria, north-west England, recorded the lowest temperature of the season so far with -8.7C.
