WEATHER: Autumnal start to summer - Brighter days ahead for Derry & Donegal?

It feels more like October out there today and there’s more heavy rain and windy conditions forecast for the week ahead, so any sign of summer?
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With children finishing up at school for the summer break and others looking forward to a break away many families will be preparing for a staycation, although accommodation and petrol prices at the minute will limit many to day trips in the north west.

So what’s in the forecast? Short answer is nothing great, for the next few days at least. But there may well be brighter days ahead...

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According to the Met Office, the driving, persistent rain will clear eastwards over the course of today, with brighter but still showery weather following. although Met Eireann has said the risk of thundery downpours later today are possible.

A wet day for a walk along the greewnway by the Penny burn.A wet day for a walk along the greewnway by the Penny burn.
A wet day for a walk along the greewnway by the Penny burn.

Tonight will be “a mainly dry night with clear periods. There may be a few short lived mist patches around dawn. Winds becoming light. Minimum temperature 9 °C” the Met Office states.

Tomorrow, Wednesday will be brighter with some sunshine but “scattered showers breaking out during morning with the odd heavier shower possible in the afternoon”. Feeling warmer though than of late.

There will be some dry weather on Thursday and Friday with sunshine, just a few showers and light winds, with the rain and cloud back for a time on Saturday before brighter weather returns.

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July meanwhile looks like it will become progressively better over the next few weeks, although there could be a thundery start to the month with stormy conditions thrown into the mix along with sunshine, cloud and showers.

The Penny burn in Derry.The Penny burn in Derry.
The Penny burn in Derry.

The Met Office forecasts that this weekend into next Monday may bring some heavy showers and possibly thunderstorms for the north. Unsettled conditions remain likely for the rest of next week, but then by July 12 we may enter a more settled period.

For July 12 - 26 the Met Office forecasts, but with the same caveat for here: “There is a good chance of more settled conditions prevailing through the middle and later parts of July, although some northern areas may see spells of rain or showers at times, especially earlier in the period.”

Rain will clear eastwards this morning with sunny spells and widespread heavy showers following for the rest of the day. Some of the showers may be thundery. Windy in fresh or strong and gusty southerly winds, veering southwesterly later. Highest temperatures of 15 to 17 degrees. Winds moderating in the evening.

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In terms of the National Outlook, Met Eireann concurs that it will be “changeable and quite cool overall especially in the west” for tomorrow and the week ahead.

While our changeable weather is notoriously difficult to predict too far into the future it looks like the latter part of July could be much more pleasant that the end of June.

For Monday 18 July to Sunday 24 July, Met Eireann states: “Low pressure now looks like sitting to the southwest of Ireland with high pressure over eastern Europe. Current indications suggest slightly warmer than normal temperatures but only marginally so. Rainfall amounts will be close to normal, possibly a little wetter than average in the northwest and drier than normal in some parts of the east coast.”

So not heatwave, but not bad...

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