How long is the awful weather going to last? Met Éireann has some answers

A PARCHED June followed by a monsoon July looks likely to last into August according to the latest long range forecast from Met Éireann.

Met Éireann's latest extended-range forecast runs from this Monday 17 through to the middle of August.

Week 1 (Monday 17 July to Sunday 23 July)

It says conditions throughout Week 1 are likely to remain fairly unsettled with low pressure over Scandinavia continuing to dominate our weather. This will feed in generally northerly air, which will keep temperatures below average across the country. Precipitation amounts are expected to be slightly lower than in recent days, though it will nevertheless remain wetter than average for many areas.

Week 2 (Monday 24 July to Sunday 30 July)

For Week 2, Met Éireann says the weather is likely to stay somewhat unsettled with precipitation amounts remaining at or above average. Mean temperatures are likely to be somewhat higher than in Week 1, though they will remain slightly below average overall.

Week 3 (Monday 31 July to Sunday 06 August)

While uncertainty increases for this period, Met Éireann says current indications are that there will be little change from the previous week with conditions staying somewhat unsettled. Temperatures may continue to increase, becoming close to or slightly above average across the country. Precipitation amounts are forecast to remain at or above average.

Week 4 (Monday 07 August to Sunday 13 August)

While there is considerable uncertainty for Week 4, the forecaster says early indications are that conditions will become slightly more settled with temperatures continuing close to or above average. It says rain amounts are forecast to be decrease, with some areas becoming drier than average for the time of year.

The forecaster says monthly forecasts can at times provide an insight into weather patterns in the month ahead. However, Met Éireann adds that they should not be used for specific planning purposes as they have generally low skill compared with the 10-day forecast.

It says this is because forecasts beyond one week become increasingly uncertain due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere.

The latest long-term forecast comes on the back of a very unseasonal July with rain in the week to July 16 well above normal across the country with between 2.5 and 5.5 times the average for the time of year recorded.