A polar air mass over Ireland will keep temperatures down and the weather wet for the weekend.
That is according to Evelyn Cusack, the head of forecasting with Met Éireann.
But she told Newstalk Breakfast brighter days are ahead.
"It's worst over the east and the south today, so it's brighter in the west and the north, and it will brighten up everywhere today.
"But really 'quite miserable' I think is a good summary.
"May is characterised by a cold air mass, which is due to high pressure around Greenland and it pushed the jetstream south of Ireland.
"So we're really essentially in an artic or a polar air mass, so temperatures [are] well below average.
"But I heard it on the radio last week, somebody saying that it's good for the strawberries."
And she said Saturday will be the better day.
"Tomorrow is the better of the two days, with some sunshine - and as we get towards June now there is heat in the sun, but not in the air.
"And there'll be some heavy showers around on Sunday - maybe even some thunder, lightening, hail I'm afraid."
Cool 🥶 & cloudy ☁️ today with showery outbreaks of rain, 🌧️ heavy at times, especially across Munster & Leinster.
Gradually brightening 🌤️ up from the N later, with drier conditions extending southwards. 🌤️
Highs of 10 to 14°C in moderate or fresh NW winds. 🍃 pic.twitter.com/uR1E01QdNh— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 21, 2021
But she said next week is due to pick up a bit.
"For next week - still some showers around for Monday and Tuesday - but some nice sunshine in-between.
"As I said, once the sun comes out it is warm but we are looking at the weather settling down then from the middle of next week."
She said there are also "tentative signs" of the weather being settled for the first two weeks of June.
"Still staying on the cold side of the jet stream, so temperatures will be slightly below average.
"So there is some light at the end of the tunnel".
Why the weather app on your phone is wrong
People are being reminded to use the correct data with their weather apps.
On Lunchtime Live earlier this week, Evelyn explained: "The app that comes with your iPhone is based on global data - so what that means is that they calculate the weather, evened out over every 10 kilometres or up to 20 kilometres.
"If you get, in that say a 10km2 grid, there's a shower - a shower can be only one kilometre wide - so they kind of smear it out over the whole grid.
"So that's why the app point forecast that you're getting with your phone is just representative of a much larger area."
She added: "The best thing to do is obviously get the Met Éireann app, but to look at the radar - don't read the actual point forecast literally.
"The weather radar that you'll only get on the Met Éireann app - because you pay for it, it's paid for by the people of Ireland - actually tracks the showers where they are.
"It's not a forecast, it's an actual - so it shows you actually where the showers are and how they're moving."
