It’s totally tropical
»»‘Rare’ hot night here for first time in 20years »»Weather warnings in place as temps hit 30c
Ireland’s fun in the sun has been extended with a high temperature warning in place until tomorrow – though some thunderstorms and heavy showers could spoil it today.
It comes after a rare “tropical night” was recorded here for the first time in two decades.
The hottest day of the year saw the mercury soar to 30.8C at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon, on Wednesday followed by a night where even areas that had been in the shade in the day stayed above 20C. Met Eireann said: “Wednesday was provisionally the first tropical night in Ireland for 20 years, with Valentia, Co Kerry, not observing any temperature under 20.5°C.
“Tropical nights are rare in Ireland, having only occurred around six times in the digital record.”
The national forecaster has added an extra day to its Status Yellow alert, which was due to end this morning, for heat to remain at 27C to 30C tomorrow.
A more severe Status Orange warning is in place until 9am for Cavan, Monaghan, south Leitrim,
Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath where the mercury could pass a blistering 30C.
Met Eireann meteorologist Aoife Kealy said: “We still have another few hot and sunny days ahead with temperatures reaching 30C, possibly a little higher in a few spots today.
“It’ll also be warm and humid overnight too with temperatures not falling below 18C in areas.
“Today we could see a few heavy showers and thunderstorms breaking out, which could lead to some spot flooding.”
Meanwhile, the Department of
Agriculture has issued an orange forest fire warning due to the hot and dry conditions which will be in place until midday today.
But forecasters believe the scorching heat has peaked.
Ms Kealy added: “It looks like the high pressure that has brought us this hot and settled weather will gradually break down through the weekend and we’ll lose the very high temperatures.
“It’ll still be warm though, with temperatures into the low to mid 20s across the country on Saturday on Sunday. It won’t be quite as warm during the nights, however,
which is probably welcome news to many.”
The best of the sunshine will be in the west tomorrow and it will be a little cloudier in eastern coastal counties.
Some isolated showers may develop in Connacht and Munster through the evening.
Sunday brings an increased risk of showers before cooling down early next week.
Health experts have warned of the skin cancer risk for those working outdoors when UV levels are high.
The HSE has also issued a reminder to keep hydrated, seek out shade, apply suncream and avoid the hottest part of the day from 11am to 3pm.
The Department of Health said it was important to look out for those more vulnerable to the effects of heat such as older people, children and babies.
At least 10 Met Eireann weather stations have hit heatwave criteria so far, with temperatures having reached at least 25C five days in a row, with further stations expected to be added in coming days. The forcaster explained how an “Azores High” – a near permanent area of high pressure usually positioned in the sub-tropical Atlantic near the Azores Islands – brought warm air up from the south.
That, together with plenty of strong summer sunshine, has allowed temperatures to build.
Meanwhile, Irish Water continues to urge the public to conserve supply.
A spokesperson for the utility company said: “Night time restrictions and urgent appeals for conservation have been made in a number of locations across the country to ensure a consistent day time supply for all.
“While the public are being asked to conserve, there are currently no plans to implement a Water Conservation Order.”
And looking ahead to next week, Monday is looking cooler overall at 18C to 23C, with sunny spells and further showers, which will be more widespread especially across the western half of the country.
The outlook beyond that is changeable with temperatures falling further to the high teens.