There’s no sign of a settled spell for the May Bank Holiday weekend, with Met Éireann warning that conditions will remain wet, cloudy and cooler than average, alongside two Status Yellow rain warnings affecting parts of the country.
The national forecaster has issued Status Yellow rain warnings for Cork and Waterford, with persistent and heavy rain, which may turn thundery at times, expected to cause disruption.
The warnings are in place from 03:00 to 18:00 on Thursday, April 30, and come with risks including localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.
⚠️Status Yellow Rainfall Warning for Cork and Waterford
Persistent rain will be heavy and possibly thundery at times 🌧️
Potential impacts:
• Localised flooding
• Difficult travelling conditions
• Poor visibilityValid: Thur 30/04 03:00 to 18:00
ℹ️ https://t.co/GYji547FKt pic.twitter.com/H8VRFxMFOR
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) April 29, 2026
The unsettled pattern is expected to continue right through the long weekend, with little improvement as conditions turn increasingly cool.
According to Met Éireann, the overall outlook is “mixed” with frequent rain and showers and a noticeable drop in temperatures compared to recent days.
Heading into Friday night, conditions will remain mostly cloudy with scattered showers, while more persistent showery rain is set to push into western areas by morning. Temperatures will fall to between 7 and 11 degrees, with mist and fog developing in light southerly breezes.
Saturday is shaping up to be particularly unsettled, with widespread showers across the country, some of which will be heavy and possibly thundery. While there may be occasional bright spells, it will feel distinctly cooler, with daytime highs of just 12 to 15 degrees.
The showery conditions are expected to continue into Saturday night, although some drier weather and clearer spells may develop in the northern half of the country. Overnight temperatures will again dip to between 7 and 11 degrees, with further mist and fog forming.
There’s little improvement forecast for Sunday, which is likely to be another cloudy day with widespread showers, once again turning heavy at times with a chance of thunder.
Temperatures will remain subdued, reaching just 12 to 15 degrees in light northeasterly winds.
By Bank Holiday Monday, conditions are expected to turn even cooler, with highest temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees. It will be largely cloudy nationwide, with patchy light rain and drizzle continuing to dampen the day.
Looking slightly further ahead, there is still some uncertainty, but current indications suggest Tuesday will remain cloudy but mostly dry.
