Met Eireann says Christmas week will bring "unsettled" conditions to the country – including a good deal of rainfall across Ireland.
The national forecaster is predicting a "good deal" of dry weather this weekend, in news that will delight many ahead of the last few days off before Christmas.
But next week, in the lead-up to the big day, Met Eireann is warning that things will become more changeable in areas all over Ireland.
Today's forecast sees some patchy rain that will become heavy at times, especially in Munster.
A Met Eireann spokesperson said: "Rain will move into the west from the Atlantic later in the morning and will spread to all areas during the afternoon and evening.
"The rain will be heavy at times, especially in Munster and south Leinster. It will become breezy too, with fresh to strong southerly winds developing. Afternoon temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees."
Tonight, the rain will start to clear from the east, leaving things quite dry for the most part except for a few showers in the northwest of the country.
But more rain will arrive later in the night, and it'll be heavy at times.
As for Friday, a Met Eireann spokesperson said it will bring heavy rain Munster and south Leinster, on a "breezy and relatively mild day with fresh and gusty southerly winds and highest afternoon temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees."
Saturday will bring blustery showers in western areas, but it'll be mostly dry everywhere else. And Sunday – the last day before the start of the Christmas week – will see many the parts of the country enjoying a dry day, though the west and northwest could see scattered showers.
It'll the be the early days of next week – spreading on throughout the following days up to Christmas – that'll bring "unsettled" conditions, with a lot of rain likely.
