High pressure will dominate Ireland's weekend, Met Éireann has confirmed, delivering dry, bright and settled weather but night-time temperatures as low as 1°C with localised frost.

Daytime highs won't escape the low teens — 10° to 14°C today (Friday, October 16), easing to 10° to 13°C through Saturday and Sunday. That's a working window, not a growth window. Soil temperatures will stall.

Before the settled spell arrives, Friday holds a mix of sunshine and showers. The showers will be most frequent in the west this morning, some turning heavy, with a slight chance of thunder in the north. During the afternoon they'll become mostly confined to Ulster and Leinster before dying away, leaving a dry and bright evening. Winds stay light to moderate, north-westerly.

What does Friday night bring?

Tonight will be dry for most, with long clear spells and just the odd light shower possible in northern parts early on. Lowest temperatures of 1° to 5°C mean a touch of frost in places. Mist and fog patches will also form in a light north-westerly or variable breeze — worth remembering if livestock are out or early-morning machinery moves are planned.

How settled is the weekend?

Very. Saturday opens with any mist and fog clearing to leave a dry, bright and crisp day with plenty of sunshine, Met Éireann said. Highest temperatures of 10° to 13°C are expected with light north-easterly or variable breezes.

Saturday night repeats the pattern: dry and chilly, patches of mist and fog under mostly clear skies, and lowest temperatures of 1° to 5°C — possibly reaching freezing locally, with some frost developing.

Sunday follows the same script. Mist and fog clear through the morning to leave a dry day with plenty of sunshine, highs of 10° to 13°C and light variable breezes. Sunday night stays dry and chilly under mostly clear skies, with lows of 1° to 6°C and more mist and fog patches forming.

Why does this matter for fieldwork?

Three consecutive dry, bright days add up to a genuine opportunity. Spraying, spreading, harvesting and haulage all become viable after Friday's showers clear. Ground that's been holding machinery recently gets a chance to firm up.

The catch is the nights. Frost, freezing temperatures locally, and fog patches each morning mean:

• Late starts where fog is slow to clear
• Frost-sensitive operations — certain spray applications among them — better timed for midday windows
• Livestock checks for out-wintered animals as temperatures hover near zero

What comes next?

Monday extends the dry spell for most, with mist and fog clearing early. The one caveat: a few showers could drift into parts of the south-east through the day.

Farmers with spraying, slurry or harvesting still on the list should treat this weekend as the window — the next weather shift is unlikely to be this kind.