Better dig out your Aran jumper.

Met Éireann has released its St Patrick’s Day forecast… and despite the relatively mild conditions we’ve enjoyed lately, the news isn’t great for the long weekend.

According to the national forecaster, ‘rain will become widespread and heavy during Friday night’.

There is the risk of rain ‘turning to sleet over the northern half of the country as lowest temperatures fall close to freezing’, but here in the south lowest temperatures will be around three to six degrees.

A low pressure system will bring ‘heavy and persistent rain’ with it, as well as the risk of hail on Saturday.

Saturday night will be cold with scattered showers and lowest temperatures of between minus one and three degrees ‘with frost and icy stretches’.

Sunday, St Patrick’s day is likely to be a bright and cold day ‘with sunny spells and scattered showers’, some of which could be wintry.

The weather folk have been wrong before, but we’ll be bringing a brolly and a winter coat to the parade.