THE North Pole will send Ireland much of its weather for the next few days, Ms Evelyn Cusack, forecaster with Met Eireann, said yesterday.
"After last Friday, the hottest day of the year so far, it will be a real shock to the system", she added.
Northerly winds are expected to bring snow on high ground, according to Ms Cusack, though it will not accumulate. Most parts of the country had about an inch of rain yesterday. A downpour in Belfast caused some residents to leave their homes and take refuge in a community centre.
Dustings of snow on the Donegal highlands have been reported by sheep farmers.
Rain created greasy driving conditions for people returning home after the bank holiday, causing several accidents. The worst traffic tailback was caused by roads improvements on the Naas dual carriageway between Rathcoole and Newlands Cross, according to AA Roadwatch.
Parts of Belfast were yesterday submerged under two feet of water after the heaviest rains in over a year. Residents of Carrington Street in south Belfast were left without electricity. The ground floor rooms of many houses were flooded.
Residents expressed anger at the Department of the Environment which, they claimed, had not responded speedily to the situation.
A Department of the Environment spokesman said that an inspector arrived in the street 15 minutes after being contacted.
A contractor was called to see if water could be pumped into the River Lagan which was already over flowing.
More rain is forecast for Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, gales and heavy seas isolated more than 700 inhabitants on three islands off the Donegal coast yesterday in the worst May storms for many years.
Ferry services between the mainland and the islands of Arranmore, Tory and Inisfree were cancelled. Holiday visitors remained stranded on Arranmore.
Tory Island, 11 miles out in the Atlantic, remained stormbound last night, and holiday traffic is disrupted. Tiny Inisfree, off Burtonport, with a population of 10, was cut off yesterday evening.
Malin Head weather station reported wind speeds of more than 50 mph. Showers of sleet and rain persisted along the northwest coast throughout the day.