Ireland set for cold and frosty start to New Year

While Christmas has been relatively mild so far, temperatures in Ireland are expected to continue dropping through Monday, keeping a bitter frostiness in the air for New Year’s Eve. 

The good news for those excited to ring in the New Year is that it is expected to stay mainly dry until Monday, with only a possibility of light rain overnight on New Year’s Eve.

Forecasts are also showing a particularly dry New Year’s Day, and only some small showers are expected on Friday. 

Temperatures are expected to continue to drop until Monday, keeping a bitter frostiness in the air for New Year’s Eve. Pic: Geoff Robinson Photography/REX

Taking to his X account, Carlow Weather meteorologist Alan O’Reilly warned that a colder air mass is moving down across the country, which means Friday’s rain spells could turn wintry, especially in the northern parts of the country. 

Met Éireann has warned that for those celebrating New Year’s Eve tonight, temperatures could reach as low as -2C and will only rise to 8C at the highest on New Year’s Day. 

Alan O’Reilly has warned that in the northern parts of the country, there is a risk of ‘some sleet and snow’ as the colder air mass moves throughout Ireland. 

Risk of ‘some sleet and snow’ as the colder air mass moves throughout Ireland. Pic: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

This also means that our New Year’s weather is expected to be ‘bitterly cold’ with the air mass keeping temperatures low until Monday or Tuesday, with a high possibility of colder temperatures returning later in the week. 

O’Reilly’s high-resolution model also showed that snow is expected to accumulate right up until Friday, although this is predicted mainly for Ulster and the Wicklow Mountains. 

The weather forecast for the first week in 2026 isn’t all doom and gloom, however, with sunny spells predicted across Friday and the weekend.

Despite this Met Éireann has predicted that temperatures will remain between 2C and 5C during the daytime and could reach as low as -3C during the night, allowing sharp frosts and ice to develop. 

Temperatures could drop to -3C overnight, allowing sharp frosts and ice to form. Pic: Getty Images

Tuesday and Wednesday of next week are set to see milder air reach the country, which could lead to Ireland’s first heavy showers of 2026. 

While the weather in Ireland for 2026 is far from glamorous, it is set to be even worse for those who choose to ring in the new year abroad. Storm Francis is set to continue bringing heavy rain across Western Europe. 

Alan O’Reilly warned that the storm will bring ‘wet and windy weather’ to the Canary Islands before bringing this nasty weather to Madeira, Portugal and the west of Spain. 

‘However, Ireland will enjoy pretty much dry weather up until Tuesday apart from those odd showers,’ O’Reilly reassured Irish people in his final weather forecast of 2025. 

New Year’s Eve update as colder weather is on the way but also good sunny spells to start 2026. Watch video for full update and Happy New Year. pic.twitter.com/GfrKQQRLn1

— Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) December 31, 2025