The weather is going to gradually get warmer over the coming days, before the highs of up to 31 degrees are forecast to hit the country early next week.
Met Éireann has issued a high temperature advisory for the end of this week and into next week during which Ireland is set to be “uncomfortably warm”.
Temperatures are forecast to widely reach the high 20s and possibly exceed 30 degrees in some areas on Sunday and early next week.
Conditions are to remain “uncomfortably warm” at night, staying above 20 degrees in some cases, it said, as Ireland feels the effects of an ongoing European heatwave, which has seen temperatures exceed 40 degrees in some countries.
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Linda Hughes, forecaster with Met Éireann, described the upcoming weather as a “short spell” of high temperatures, with most areas experiencing highs of the late 20s, and some places possibly exceeding 30 degrees.
Thursday will be mostly dry, with a few showers in Ulster, with some clouds throughout the afternoon and evening.
“The highest temperatures will be on Thursday afternoon, 16 to 23 degrees, and it’ll be warmest near the south coast where the best of the sunshine is expected,” Ms Hughes said.
Friday morning will be largely cloudy, with scattered light rain, but it will brighten up through the afternoon and evening, with spells of warm sunshine developing.
“Highest temperatures tomorrow of 17 to 24 degrees, warmest in the south and south east. It will be a bit cooler in north facing coasts, as there will be a light to moderate north to northwest wind,” she added.
Saturday morning will be dry with spots of hazy sunshine, though it will become cloudy at times during the afternoon and evening.
“It will be a warm day with highs of 20 to 25 degrees on Saturday. It will become very warm and dry on Sunday, with long spells of sunshine. Highest temperatures of 22 to 27 degrees,” it said.
“It will stay warm through Sunday night as temperatures stay above 13 to 16 degrees.”
Temperatures will creep up further on Monday, when there will be “hot conditions” across most of the country. They will widely reach 26 to 29 degrees, with temperatures of 30 or 31 degrees being possible in some areas.
The warm weather is a result of a heatwave that is sweeping across Europe. The Portuguese government has declared an eight-day state of alert due to a high risk of wildfires, while the UK Met Office has warned that the heat there could pose a risk to life.
Ireland has already seen some signs of the extreme warmth, with the hottest day of the year so far being recorded on Monday at Dublin’s Phoenix Park when it reached 27.7 degrees.
The latest heatwave is one in a pattern that are occurring earlier in the summer with more extreme temperatures. Scientists have attributed this trend to human-caused global heating which is resulting in weather events being more intense, more likely and longer lasting.
