Irish drizzle sets in as French fires burn

As temperatures across Europe continue to burn things back home have begun to cool down following Wednesday's warm, humid conditions.

Cloud will continue to spread on Thursday afternoon with showers becoming more widespread with a risk of thundery and heavy downpours in parts of the country.

Temperatures on Thursday will range from between 17 to 22 degrees.

Met Éireann is forecasting that Friday will be mostly dry, with bright and hazy sunshine for most of the day.

However, coastal fog and drizzle will set in over the south and southeast, while cloud will increase with rain spreading into the late afternoon and evening. Temperatures will be similar to Thursday, reaching 22 degrees.

The warmest weather recorded in the State this week was in the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin where temperatures reached 26.1 degrees on Tuesday.

The highest recorded temperature on Wednesday was in Belfast where it reached 24.8 degrees.

Temperatures in Britain soared to 36.7 degrees on Wednesday, making it the hottest day on record in the UK for July.

The UK Met Office said temperatures hit the record high in Heathrow on Wednesday breaking the previous record of 36.5 degrees set on July 19th, 2006, in Wisley, Surrey.

Wimbledon recorded the hottest day in its history as players sweltered in the searing heat of Centre Court.

UK motoring group AA said it had been called out to reports of road surfaces melting in the heat, while Britain’s trains were blighted by delays and cancellations as Network Rail imposed speed restrictions on some lines amid fears the metal tracks could buckle under the searing heat.

Meanwhile, fires linked to hot, dry weather are disrupting the early stages of this year's grain harvest in France, the European Union's top producer, destroying hundreds of hectares and triggering fire prevention measures in some areas.

Wednesday saw record temperatures for the time of year either side of 40 degrees in several parts of the country as the heatwave intensified, adding stress on crops in central and northern France that faced a dry spell this spring.

Fires can be sparked by combine harvesters and quickly burn crops as well as the straw left after crops are cut.

Farmers reported on Twitter fires in other major grain regions including Burgundy, Picardy and Seine-et-Marne east of Paris that also burned several hundred hectares.

Fires so far have mostly affected winter barley as it is the first field crop to be gathered in the French harvest cycle.

The heatwave in France is expected to last until early next week.

Additional reporting from Agencies