The country is set to cool down after being battered by intense storms, as a tornado was spotted out west.

The intense heat the country felt earlier this week came crashing down on Friday, as parts of the country were hit with thunderstorms and heavy rain.

While thunder and lightning aren’t necessarily rare, parts of Galway were shocked to see a literal tornado hit the county — with videos showing just how intense things became out west.

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The country is set to cool down after we were battered by intense storms — as a tornado was spotted out west. Pic: Ireland Weather Channel/TikTok

Videos shared by Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather showed the tornado touchdown in Galway, with damage in Coldwood, just outside Athenry.

As for the weather on Saturday, clouds, wind, and rain are set to return, with heavy rain in some parts.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Met Éireann says it will be cloudier than in previous days, with patchy outbreaks of rain in the southwest spreading and becoming more persistent and heavier in the afternoon. Cooler, too, with highs of 17C to 22C.

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The rain is set to persist this weekend. Pic: Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Saturday night will start off cloudy, with any remaining outbreaks of rain clearing the east coast before clear spells and scattered showers spread from the west. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 14 degrees.

Sunny spells and scattered showers will mainly affect the west and north on Sunday, before dying out in the afternoon. Cooler once again, with highs of 15C in the west to 20C in the east.

Sunday night will be mostly dry with clear spells and just a few showers affecting Atlantic coastal areas. Cloud will develop from the west towards the morning. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 13 degrees.

There will be some sunny spells on Monday, with just a few showers — before cloudier conditions with more persistent outbreaks of rain and drizzle spread across the country from the southwest through the late afternoon. Highest temperatures of 16 to 21 degrees.

Looking to the rest of the week, Met Éireann has said not to put away that sunscreen just yet — as current indications suggest the changeable and unsettled conditions will continue, but high pressure building nearby means we could have more fine, sunny weather.