Wet Tuesday Morning Ahead Before Settled Week for Cork

Cork will experience a damp and breezy start to Tuesday morning as rain moves across the county, but conditions will improve significantly by afternoon with a largely dry and settled week ahead featuring cool nights and potential fog.

Met Éireann's latest forecast, issued this morning at 06:00, confirms that Tuesday will begin with outbreaks of rain and drizzle extending southeastwards across Munster. The wet conditions are expected to clear through the day, with northwestern areas brightening first during the evening whilst southern and eastern parts may see lingering cloud and patchy rain for longer.

The rain is being driven by a frontal system moving southeast across Ireland. Weather model data indicates that Cork City can expect moderate to heavy bursts of rain before dawn and through the morning, with rainfall rates of 1 to 3 millimetres per hour. Southwest winds will gust between 40 and 60 kilometres per hour during the morning commute, reducing visibility particularly during heavier downpours. Temperatures will range between 9 and 12 degrees Celsius in the early hours before climbing to between 13 and 16 degrees by afternoon.

As the front clears southwards by late morning, winds will veer northwest and ease considerably to around 20 to 30 kilometres per hour. Atmospheric pressure will begin rising as the unsettled weather departs, with conditions improving markedly through the afternoon and evening.

Tuesday night will see remaining cloud and rain clear early, with clear spells developing across the county. Temperatures will drop to between 3 and 8 degrees, and isolated patches of mist and fog may form in the mainly light westerly or variable breezes.

From Wednesday onwards, high pressure will dominate, bringing a prolonged spell of settled and largely dry weather. Wednesday will feature a mix of cloud and bright or sunny breaks, with the best sunshine expected across eastern and southern parts of the county. A few light showers may affect northwestern coastal areas. Afternoon temperatures will reach between 13 and 15 degrees in light to moderate west to northwest winds.

Thursday will remain mostly dry across Cork, though northern and western areas may see cloudier skies with patchy light rain or drizzle. Southern and eastern parts of the county should fare better with a mix of cloud and bright spells. Temperatures will again range from 13 to 16 degrees.

Friday continues the settled theme, remaining dry apart from the odd spot of drizzle. Whilst there will be a fair amount of cloud, some bright or sunny spells will develop. Afternoon highs will reach between 12 and 15 degrees in light westerly or variable breezes.

The weekend outlook is similarly benign. Both Saturday and Sunday are expected to be largely dry with variable cloud amounts and a better chance of hazy sunny spells developing at times. Daytime temperatures will range from 13 to 16 degrees, whilst overnight lows will dip to between 6 and 9 degrees, potentially lower in areas experiencing prolonged clear spells. Winds will remain mostly light and variable throughout.

The main travel hazards for the coming days will be Tuesday morning's combination of heavy rain, poor visibility and gusty winds, followed by potential fog forming during nights and early mornings from Wednesday through the weekend. Road users should allow extra time for Tuesday's morning commute and exercise caution, particularly watching for spray from other vehicles. After midweek, the primary concern will be reduced visibility due to mist and fog during the early morning hours, especially in valley locations.

Both the ECMWF and GFS weather models show strong agreement on this forecast, lending high confidence to the outlook. The models differ only slightly on Tuesday's wind intensity and minor details about shower coverage later in the week, but both consistently show the frontal passage clearing quickly and high pressure establishing a settled regime through the weekend and into early next week.

Met Éireann notes that mostly dry and settled conditions look set to continue into early next week, suggesting Cork residents can look forward to an extended period of pleasant autumn weather once Tuesday's rain departs.