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Met Éireann has forecast dry and sunny conditions for Easter weekend, although temperatures will stay cool during the day and turn cold and icy at night.
Saturday is expected to be pleasant. It will be dry and mostly sunny, with maximum temperatures of 11-14 degrees. However, temperatures will drop to between -1 and 4 degrees on Saturday night.
Sunday will be dry in most of the country, but generally cooler, with the best sun in the southern counties and the highest temperatures of between 9 and 14 degrees. It will also be windier than the last few days.
Light showers in the northwest will extend south overnight.
Cold air will move from the north overnight with winter rains on north-facing coasts and temperatures will drop to -2 degrees.
Easter Monday will be cold and windy with some periods of sunshine and temperatures ranging between 4 and 8 degrees. Monday night will bring frost and ice again as temperatures drop between -3 and +1 degrees.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Navy has issued a high orange state wildfire warning for the Easter holiday weekend and is calling on landowners and the public to avoid all outdoor fires.
In a statement on Friday, the state forestry company Coillte warned of a high fire risk as dry and sunny conditions established over the weekend, adding that the fire risk would peak on Sunday, April 4.
“Due to current weather patterns, it is considered that there is a high risk of forest fire in all areas where there are dead grasses and dry heather and gorse,” he said. “While good weather is forecast for the next few days, an increase in fire risk can be expected ahead of the rain fronts forecast over the long weekend.”
Coillte urged landowners and the general public to “avoid all outdoor fires and other open ignition sources,” with a special call on landowners to “obey existing restrictions on burning land.” .
He noted that current fire hazards were primarily associated with the illegal burning of waste and that there was “an established pattern of risk associated with the Easter holiday” when there is more public activity in the countryside.
All outdoor use of fire pits, barbecues and other open sources of ignition should be avoided on forest lands and in other high-risk areas until further notice, Coillte said.
He reminded members of the public to stay less than 5 km from their homes as per Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions and requested that those living near forest roads not leave vehicles parked at site entrances, which could impede access. of emergency services.
It is also illegal to burn growing vegetation on vacant lots between March 1 and August 31, he added.
The national wildfire risk warning will remain in effect until noon on Tuesday, April 6.
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