Sunshine and temperatures of up to 26 degrees are anticipated from Saturday due to the return of high pressure over the country, according to Met Éireann.
Widespread health alerts have come into force in Europe where temperatures have reached in excess of 40 degrees, and in parts of the UK, which is due to experience scorching highs of 36 degrees.
Intense summer heat and continuing drought conditions are being supercharged by the escalating human-caused climate crisis.
Temperatures here are also set to rise from Saturday with 26 degrees forecast for the midlands and east.
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Meteorologist at Met Éireann Holly O’Neill explained that the sunny weather “is coming back for a little bit” with “very warm” temperatures “moving across the country”.
[ July among ‘hottest, driest and sunniest months on record’, Met Éireann saysOpens in new window ]
“There is high pressure over the country at present. Some people like these temperatures and that will be good news for them. Isolated will move back in on Wednesday until Friday but high pressure will move back in over next weekend,” O’Neill said.
“It could be a case that we do get what is classed as a heatwave, with five consecutive days of 25 degrees in the shade but as of yet there is no consecutive pattern like this. Temperatures for this time of the year are between two and four degrees higher than average.”
[ Met Éireann rules out return to heatwave despite temperatures of up to 26 degreesOpens in new window ]
Saturday will bring further patchy rain and drizzle, mainly to northern and western counties. Many southern counties will remain fully dry with some mist and hill fog too. It will be very mild and humid with overnight minimum temperatures holding between 13 degrees and 16 degrees.
Sunday will bring a mix of cloud and sunny spells with patchy rain and drizzle, mainly across north and northwest counties to begin. Patchy rain and drizzle will sink southeastwards later in the afternoon with the odd heavy burst across the Midlands and East, while at the same time drying up from the northwest. Highest temperatures will range from a cool 16 degrees in the northwest to a warmer 25 degrees in the southeast, with moderate west to southwest breezes.
Temperature records have been broken in several countries across central and eastern Europe as the extreme weather that has caused wildfires and droughts across the continent continues.
Slovakia, Austria and Hungary registered record temperatures this week. On Thursday, the Slovakian hydrometeorological agency said a new national record of 42C (108F) had been reached.
The UK Met Office said temperatures there will climb through the weekend as heatwave conditions return next week, to parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday.
The national outlook for the rest of the week will be for warm or very warm weather developing widely as continental air moves in across the country. Monday will be dry with a mix of cloud and sunshine, warmest across Munster and Leinster. Top temperatures of 17 degrees to 24 degrees in just light westerly breezes.
Tuesday will be warmer with long spells of summer sunshine. Top temperatures of 22 to 26 degrees in just light southeast breezes. Wednesday will be “very warm and humid in a light to moderate southerly breeze, according to Met Éireann.
Top temperatures of 22 to 28 degrees are expected.
Met Éireann said that it will remain rather warm for southern and eastern areas during Thursday and Friday, while turning fresher elsewhere. A fair amount of dry weather is expected with just isolated showers it added.
In its annual climate statement, Met Éireann said Ireland’s overall warming continued in line with the global warming trend, with seven of the top 10 warmest years in the country happening since 2005 and last year being the second warmest year on record. - Additional reporting AP
