We all screamed for ice-cream – 99 sales top the million mark
ICE-CREAM sellers triumphed during the three-week heatwave, with more than one million 99s sold across the country.
It’s set to be the hottest summer since 1976 and the recent spell of good weather has seen sales of ice-cream mix for whipped cones increase by 134pc – with more than 600,000 more cones sold compared to last year, according to Musgrave MarketPlace.
Instant barbecues and charcoal sales have also increased by 26pc compared to the same period last year, while fresh burgers and chicken have increased 65pc and 15pc respectively.
Burger buns and hot dog buns are also up significantly, over 50pc, while condiments such as ketchup, vinegar and mustard have risen by 9pc.
Ireland’s hotel, food and drinks industries are also revelling in a heatwave bounce.
The near-record temperatures and sunshine have persuaded tens of thousands of Irish families and couples to enjoy a ‘staycation’ short break in Ireland.
The sunshine of the last few weeks won’t be returning at the moment, however days are still expected to be a mixture of hazy sunny spells and cloudy periods.
Met Éireann says this weekend is set to bring a change in conditions, with temperatures returning to the mid-20s in parts of the country.
There will be rain “at times” in the north, northwest and south-west on Saturday, but there will be “very little rain elsewhere”.
Temperatures are expected to range between 16C to 19C tomorrow in Atlantic coastal counties. The rest of the country is set to experience warm and humid weather, with temperatures ranging between low to mid-20s.