Road signs blink and a notice at Junction 4 warns of lane closures as traffic eases into the evening; met éireann forecasts a weekend that may feel like “four seasons in one, ” with sunny spells, heavy showers, thunderstorms, hail and sleet. The overlap of unsettled weather and scheduled road and rail works sets up a stretch of travel disruption for drivers and passengers alike.
What Met Éireann is forecasting for the weekend?
Met Éireann outlines a sequence of conditions across the coming days: Friday will see sunny spells and scattered showers that may turn heavy in the afternoon, with highest temperatures of 8-11 degrees and low spots dropping to 1-5 degrees. Some evening showers will be heavy or thundery with possible hail, and sleet may fall on high ground. Saturday is expected to bring sunny spells and showers—heaviest in the north and west—with a chance of thunderstorms, hail and sleet on higher ground and evening temperatures of 2-6 degrees. Sunday will start wet and breezy, with rain pushing south-eastwards and winds reaching near gale force at times along western and northern coasts; spot flooding is possible as rain becomes heavy, particularly in the north and west. Monday and Tuesday are forecast to remain mild but largely cloudy with outbreaks of rain or patchy rain and temperatures edging up into the low double digits.
How will road works and closures affect commutes?
A number of local closures and overnight works will intersect with the unsettled forecast. In Dublin, part of the R119 at Victoria Road in the Killiney area remains closed, and one lane of the R807, James Larkin Road in the Clontarf area, is also closed. Planned road works scheduled from 10pm to 6am ET on Friday night will affect several points on the M50: Junction 4 will see all lanes affected; lanes will also be impacted between Junction 13 Dundrum and Junction 15 Carrickmines; and Junction 5 between the N2 and the M50 will have all lanes affected. Outside the capital, one lane of the R556 in Tralee, County Kerry, remains closed. In Northern Ireland, the A25 in County Down has both lanes closed from Grocers Road to Barnmeen Road near Rathfriland, and one lane is closed on Harbour Road at Mourne Esplanade. These closures, combined with heavy showers and locally severe weather, increase the risk of delays and localized disruption.
What are the rail alterations and immediate risks for travelers?
Rail passengers face alterations tied to engineering programmes. Iarnród Éireann said service alterations are in place between Cork, Cobh and Midleton because of engineering works, with some services replaced by bus transfers. Ballast cleaning works between Limerick Junction and Charleville on Saturday will bring a number of service amendments: some trains will operate with altered timings and some will be cancelled. With heavy rain possible in the north and west and gusty winds on exposed coasts, spot flooding and brief heavy downpours could compound the effects of planned transport changes.
Travel planners and local authorities are likely to monitor conditions closely over the weekend. Met Éireann has highlighted the potential for wintery showers on high ground and heavy coastal rain at times, while transport operators have set out adapted timetables and diversions for engineering work. For commuters, that means checking notices for lane closures and service alterations before setting out.
The blinking road sign at Junction 4 still counts down the hours of the overnight works as drivers slow and recalibrate routes; the forecast of showers and the threat of thunderstorms and sleet make those adjustments more than a nuisance — they turn them into a pause for safety, patience and planning.
