Temperatures are set to soar into the twenties this weekend, but it's not all good news as hail, thunder and heavy showers are set to dampen hopes of a return to summer.
There will be plenty of sunny spells to be found throughout the rest of this week as highs of 18 to 19 degrees are expected on Thursday and Friday.
However it will be very unsettled right across the country as hail and thundery showers batter many areas.
A Met Eireann forecaster said: "Some sunshine in the east early this morning. Today will be mostly cloudy.
"After a mostly dry start, rain and drizzle will develop in the northwest and spread eastwards during the late morning and afternoon. Some areas will stay dry, especially in the south. Highest temperatures of 13 to 17 degrees with mostly light southwest breezes.
"Continuing cloudy this evening and tonight with rain and drizzle in the northwest gradually spreading southeastwards. Clear spells will follow into Connacht and Ulster overnight. Lowest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees.
"Wednesday will start off cloudy in the east and south with rain and drizzle, which will gradually clear. Sunshine and showers following from the north, becoming widespread and heavy in the afternoon and evening, some of hail and possibly thundery. Highest temperatures of 12 to 17 degrees with moderate northwest winds."
Temperatures will continue to pick up towards the end of the week and into next, with highs expected to hit the low twenties.
But it will remain very unsettled, with longer spells of rain accompanied by more hail and thunder.
A forecaster added: "Thursday will be breezy with sunshine and showers, which will be most frequent in Leinster, Munster and east Ulster. The best of the sunshine will be in the west and northwest. Highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees with fresh, gusty northeast winds.
"On Friday, showers or longer spells of rain will move in from the east and south and the best of any bright or sunny spells will be in the west.
"Highest temperatures of 14 to 19 degrees with moderate to fresh, gusty northeast breezes. On Friday night, there'll be further showers or longer spells of rain.
"Saturday and Sunday will both bring sunny spells and widespread heavy showers, some of hail and thunder. Highest temperatures for both days of around 15 to 20 degrees with light easterly or variable breezes.
"Current indications suggest that the early days of next week will continue unsettled with further heavy showers or longer spells of rain and with temperatures in the high teens to low 20s."
