While the Government is hoping today's referendum will result in "a good forecast for the people of Europe", most of the people of Ireland would settle for a good weather forecast.
Whatever result the referendum delivers to the Government, the people are likely to be disappointed on the weather front.
Further rain and wind, heavier and colder than yesterday, are predicted, which could affect voter turnout for today's referendums in this State, while similarly wintry conditions may well deter voters in the Westminster and local council elections in the North.
Things are set to be even chillier today than the below-normal temperatures experienced yesterday.
Temperatures will be down to 4 today in Dublin and Belfast, and even lower in the west, with heavy showers forecast for the whole island.
A low turnout in the referendum on the Nice Treaty could put an already close-run contest on a knife-edge.
Last weekend's Irish Times/ MRBI poll showed a respectable number intended to vote today, but also saw a shift of seven points from the Yes to the No camp over the previous fortnight.
A spokesman said, however, that the Government was not too concerned about polling day weather. "The forecast for the people of Europe is the one that concerns us," he said.
In the North, polling stations open at 7 a.m. In the Westminster elections 1,191,009 voters are eligible to take their pick from 97 candidates standing for 18 parliamentary seats.
The election is a first-past-the-post vote in which voters simply mark their preferred candidate.
In the local government election, 1,192,386 voters are entitled to choose 582 candidates for the North's 26 councils, with over 1,000 candidates contesting the seats. The ballot is a proportional representation election in which voters number candidates in order of preference.
Polling stations will be open until 10 p.m. tonight. Counting in the Westminster election is set to start tomorrow morning, with the first results expected in the early evening. Counting in the local government election will not start until Monday morning, with the first results due on Monday afternoon.
A number of constituencies, notably West Tyrone, Fermanagh-South Tyrone, Belfast North, Down North, Antrim South, Strangford and East Londonderry, are too close to call.