Storms and heavy showers on Sunday will break the spell of hot September weather in parts of Ireland, with thunderstorm warnings in place for much of the country.
Yellow warnings in place from Met Éireann and the UK Met Office cover the whole island apart from counties Mayo, Sligo and Donegal, warning of “frequent lightning” and possible flood-related disruption. The cautions are in place until midnight.
Where storms have not struck, the day was forecast to be humid, with slow-clearing fog and mist in the morning. However, sunny spells are also forecast, with high temperatures of up to 24 degrees.
The coming week is expected to see rain hit the country after a protracted spell of summery conditions that saw many people visit the beach and other outdoor events.
Monday will see rain spreading southeastwards, with fresher conditions following and high temperatures of 16 to 20 degrees.
The mercury will drop again on Tuesday, with highs of 15 to 18 degrees expected, and lows of 4 to 7 degrees expected on a dry, clear night.
The rest of the week is expected to be unsettled, with temperatures in the teens and rainy spells throughout.
The yellow thunderstorm warnings are in place from 6am on Sunday to midnight in Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.
In Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath, the warning was set to apply from noon on Sunday, while in Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry, it was due to be in place from 2pm.
Yellow warnings indicate localised danger. Met Éireann indicated a risk of frequent lightning and surface water flooding in the current tranche of warnings.