Here comes the sun! (well... for a few days)

SOAK it up, you’ve earned it... and what’s even better about the current spell of balmy weather is that it will be sticking around for the weekend.

After a seemingly never-ending stretch of miserable weather, temperatures hit 19C in parts of Ireland yesterday.

And after another dry day today, it could hit a mind-boggling 20C tomorrow in parts of the west, better weather than the sunny Spanish town of A Coruna, where temperatures won’t rise beyond 18C.

Ireland will also warmer than Malta where the mercury won’t rise much above 17C today, and Istanbul which is set to be a relatively cool 14C today.

After our winter, it would be churlish to deny us toasting these small victories.

The weather looks good up until Tuesday – if you ignore the odd shower – and this has led to shops across Ireland reporting a run on barbecue supplies, outdoor plants, and summer foods. ‘Over the past few days we have noticed an increase in sales of a number of items, which we can safely say is down to the current stretch of sunny weather,’ a spokesman for Lidl Ireland said.

‘In particular, we’ve noticed an increase in demand for products including our Dairy Farm and Gelatelli ice-creams, our range of Meadow Fresh salads, as well as barbecue staples like our Glensallagh sausages, Inisvale burgers, Connell Bakery hamburger buns and Batts BBQ sauce.’ Woodie’s DIY in Airside in Swords reported an increase in sales since the weather improved.

A spokesman for the shop said that staff have seen an increase in sales of barbecue equipment and charcoal.

‘Plants are flying off the shelves since the sun has come out.

‘The garden centre is wedged, absolutely packed,’ the spokesman said.

But nothing lasts forever and by Tuesday Met Éireann says temperatures will begin to cool and earlier scattered showers will become heavier.