After a battering from Storm Austen and Storm Boelo in October, Ireland is getting a break. Met Éireann says a slow-moving area of high pressure sitting to the north of the country will bring mostly dry, calm and settled weather well into the coming week. The catch is fog, with chilly, clear nights and mist and fog patches forming widely, sometimes lingering into the morning commute.
There were no weather or marine warnings in place when the national forecaster issued its latest outlook on Saturday afternoon.
The week ahead, day by day
Sunday: Any early cloud, mist or fog in the south and southeast clears to leave a dry, bright day with plenty of sunshine. It will feel cooler than recent days, with highs of 10 to 13 degrees in light northerly breezes. Sunday night will be dry with clear spells and lows of 2 to 5 degrees, with mist and fog patches developing late.
Monday: Mostly dry and sunny, though a little cloudier in the south. Highs of 10 to 13 degrees with light easterly breezes. Monday night will again be clear and dry for most, with mist and fog, and lows of 2 to 6 degrees. The west will be coldest.
Tuesday: Staying dry but cloudier, with limited sunshine once any early mist and fog clears. Highs of 9 to 12 degrees.
Wednesday: Patchy rain or drizzle is expected to drift into southern and eastern areas during the day, while cloud breaks up elsewhere to allow bright spells. Highs of 9 to 12 degrees, coolest in the north, with light to moderate easterly breezes that will feel fresher along east and south coasts.
Rest of the week and weekend: Met Éireann expects little change, with high pressure continuing to dominate. It should stay mostly dry with variable cloud and the odd spot of drizzle in eastern and southern counties. Mist and fog are likely overnight and may linger into the mornings.
Fog: the hidden hazard
Settled high-pressure weather in November often means clear nights, and clear nights mean temperatures dropping fast and moisture condensing into fog. With overnight lows as low as 2 degrees in places, and locally lower in sheltered spots, drivers heading out early should allow extra time.
The Road Safety Authority’s long-standing advice for driving in fog includes:
- Switch on dipped headlights and fog lights when visibility is poor, and turn fog lights off once it clears.
- Slow down and leave a much bigger gap. Don’t follow the tail-lights of the car in front, as it gives a false sense of security.
- Turn down the radio and open the window slightly so you can hear traffic at junctions.
- Don’t speed up the moment visibility improves, because patchy fog can thicken again quickly.
- Carry a phone, a high-visibility vest and a torch in case you break down.
What it means for you
For households watching heating costs, cold clear nights will mean the heating coming on earlier in the evening, but dry, calm days are also a good chance to clear gutters and drains, tidy storm debris and check roofs before the wetter weather forecast later in the month. Farmers and gardeners get a useful dry window after a saturated October, particularly in the west.
The calm conditions should also mean fewer weather-related disruptions to ferries and flights than in recent weeks, although fog can occasionally cause delays at airports early in the morning. Travellers should check with their airline or operator if fog is thick.
What happens next
The settled spell is not expected to last all month. Met Éireann’s extended range forecast, issued on Friday, suggests the week of 2 to 8 November will be largely dry with temperatures around average. The following week (9 to 15 November) should turn slightly milder, with some rain in southern counties. From around 16 November, wetter than normal conditions are signalled, continuing into the last week of the month. Met Éireann stresses that its long-range outlooks have low skill and should not be used for detailed planning, so keep an eye on the daily forecast and any warnings.
Sources
- Met Éireann: National forecast (issued 31 October 2026, 15:30)
- Met Éireann: Extended range forecast (issued 30 October 2026)
- Met Éireann: Meteorologist’s commentary on Storm Boelo (23 October 2026)
- The Irish Times: Halloween weather to be mostly dry and bright, says Met Éireann (30 October 2026)
- Road Safety Authority: Road safety alert, warning of dense fog (12 October 2021, advice)
Featured image: photo by Tomas Hudolin on Unsplash.
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