There is also a risk of localised flooding in some areas.
Met Éireann has issued a status yellow rain and thunderstorm warning for all of the Republic of Ireland from Wednesday morning through to midday on Thursday.
Furthermore, the UK Met Office has also issued a status yellow thunderstorm warning for all six counties in Northern Ireland, which will come into effect at 11am on Thursday morning and remain in place until 8pm on Thursday evening.
The rain and thunderstorm warning in the Republic of Ireland came into effect shortly after 9am on Wednesday and will be in place until 12pm on Thursday as scattered heavy downpours and thunderstorms are expected in some areas today, tonight and for a time tomorrow.
Localised flooding may also occur where the rainfall is heaviest, Met Éireann has warned.
There’ll be fairly widespread showers on Thursday, however, there will be dry periods between the showers with some hazy sunshine in places and highest temperatures of 18 to 22 degrees.
The Met Office has warned, meanwhile, that heavy showers and thunderstorms in Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry have the potential to bring surface water flooding in places and disruption to travel.
There is some slightly better news beyond the next couple of days, however, as Friday is set to be a day of sunny spells and scattered showers with highest temperatures of 16 to 22 degrees.
Saturday will see a mix of sunny spells and well-scattered showers yet again, with highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees before more scattered outbreaks of rain and sunny spells develop on Sunday.
Current indications suggest the early days of next week will bring a lot of calm settled weather, though mist and fog may linger locally.
