Watt an Electric start to Picnic!
Warm weather sets the stage for weekend
SUMMER is set to go out with a sizzle with sunny conditions and temperatures set to soar to the low 20s today.
Anticyclonic conditions are bringing an area of high pressure in over Ireland and forecasters are predicting warm, dry conditions for this weekend and next week.
A Met Eireann forecaster said: “Once the rain from Sunday clears the further outlook is for mainly dry weather as high pressure becomes established over the country.”
And there was good news for Electric Picnic revellers heading to Stradbally today as Met Eireann say highest temperatures will hit 21C or possibly slightly higher this weekend.
Today’s forecast reads: “It will be largely dry, but rather cloudy to begin, with a little patchy drizzle and fog. Brighter in all areas by afternoon, with a few sunny spells developing.
“Mild, top temperatures 17C to 19C, generally, but in the low twenties in any decent sunshine. Winds will be light southwest or variable in direction.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow, the West coast will be dull and damp with outbreaks of rain in the morning but other parts will remain dry with sunshine.
A forecaster said: “Thicker cloud with patchy rain will move eastwards over the country, becoming broken once again as it moves eastwards, and only reaching the east on Sunday night.
“Temperatures on Sunday will range between 18C and 21C. It’ll be humid too with mostly light winds so feeling quite warm in the east and northeast.
“The light to moderate southerly winds will veer to the northwest and freshen as the rain clears through later.
“Once the rain from Sunday clears the further outlook is for mainly dry weather as high pressure becomes established over the country.”
BEERS, burgers and beats can only mean one thing – it’s Electric Picnic time again.
More than 52,000 revellers are descending on Stradbally, Co Laois, for the annual three-day festival – now in its 15th year.
The rain held off for the most part and the grounds remained mudfree on day one of the music and arts extravaganza.
Brand New Friend kicked off proceedings on the Main Stage yesterday followed by fellow Northern rockers, Ash. Tim Wheeler and co made a welcome return to the festival warming up the crowd before Chvrches and Kerry rockers Walking On Cars.
Revellers gathered to see the 90s favourites Ash belt out a blistering set of hits.
Fan Colm Shanahan said: “A friend of mine died a year ago today. His coffin was carried out of the church to Shining Light.
“A year on and I’m about to hear Ash play it live at Electric Picnic. Life’s full of weird coincidences if you look for them.” Elsewhere, radio boss Dan Healy was looking forward to 2fm Live: The Story Of Hip Hop Part 2 With Mo K And The RTE Concert Orchestra on Rankin’s Wood Stage last night.
He added: “We were at Longitude for this but Festival Republic and Melvin Ben have facilitated RTE. “For us to be able to bring an orchestra in here again is pretty