Warm and muggy conditions set to stay for rest of week
WARM and humid weather is set to stay with us for the coming days despite a mixed bag of sun and showers, according to Met Éireann.
A low pressure system that is bringing warm tropical air up from continental Europe is responsible for the extremely humid and warm conditions that will prevail for the next few days, according to forecaster Liz Walsh.
However, the same conditions could bring thunderstorms and lightning to the south later on this afternoon and evening.
“There are massive thunderstorms in the UK and the same system will be over us, with the potential for some very severe thunderstorms,” she told the Irish Independent.
While the warm conditions will remain until early next week, “there’s no prolonged settled spell on the cards and we’re leaning towards unsettled weather”, she said.
After a warm and muggy night in which overnight temperatures ranged from 16C to 18C in the south and southeast and 12C to 14C in the west and north, today will get off to a murky start. Mist and clouds will blanket much of the country this morning with showers and heavy or thundery bursts in the south. However, it will brighten up as the day progresses with the best of the sunshine developing in north Leinster and Ulster.
However, the south and southwest can expect showers during the afternoon and evening which could turn heavy and thundery.
But it will stay very warm, with highs of between 20C and 25C in most areas, although it will be slightly cooler and fresh on coasts due to light to moderate northeasterly breezes.
Friday will start off the same as today with a murky and cloudy start with the risk of showers and more prolonged periods of rain in Munster, south Leinster and Connacht.
However, the rest of the country can expect a mostly dry day with warm temperatures of between 19C and 23C during the day and staying warm at night, with overnight temperatures of between 14C and 17C. The warm and humid conditions will continue through the weekend with daytime highs of between 18C and 23C on both days. However, low cloud and mist and fog will continue to blanket much of the country on Saturday morning. Sunny spells will develop by the afternoon although there will be scattered heavy showers developing by late afternoon with light breezes.
There will be another muggy night overnight on Saturday, when temperatures will climb to between 18C and 23C on Sunday with sunny spells and showers developing later.