Friday

Friday will be a mild day, with highest afternoon temperatures ranging from 11°C to 13°C, with a moderate to fresh and occasionally gusty southwest wind. The winds will be fresh to strong along the northwest coast.

It will be a mostly dull day overall, with a good deal of cloud. Patchy outbreaks of rain, drizzle and mist will continue throughout the day, with just a slight chance of a few breaks in the clouds developing.

Scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle will turn more persistent in the west and northwest towards the evening.

It will continue to be dull and misty on Friday night, with further outbreaks of rain and drizzle, which will extend further eastwards overnight. It will stay mild overnight, with temperatures not falling below 6°C to 10°C, with mostly moderate southwest to west winds that will be fresh near the northwest coast.

Saturday

It will be mainly cloudy and dull again on Saturday, with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, most persistent and heavy in the west.

There is a possibility of the day turning brighter and colder in the north during the afternoon with isolated showers.

Highest temperatures of 9°C to 13°C, mildest in the southeast, in light to moderate southwesterly winds.

There will be plenty of cloud on Saturday night, with further outbreaks of rain, drizzle and mist. Lowest temperatures of 5°C to 9°C.

Sunday

Sunday will have a mostly cloudy start, with outbreaks of light rain and drizzle, most persistent in the west and north.

It will become drier throughout the day, with some bright spells developing.

Highest temperatures of 10°C to 13°C, with moderate to fresh and gusty west to southwest winds.

Sunday night will be dry in most areas, with patchy outbreaks of drizzle and mist, mainly in western coastal counties. Lowest temperatures of 6°C to 10°C overnight.

Management notes

Beef

Martin Merrick takes a look at dealing with the current scarcity of straw, hygiene during calving and slurry spreading as the whole country exits the closed period.

Sheep

This week, Darren Carty discusses improving the condition of hill ewes, treating liver fluke in outwintered sheep, weighing up the mart or the factory for selling hoggets and the annual sheep census.

Dairy

Aidan Brennan advises on the early spreading of chemical nitrogen and calving.

Tillage

Siobhán Walsh talks about the weather, minding soil in wet weather, ploughing and spraying, oilseed rape herbicides, fertiliser planning, seed prices and payments.