It may have been a week late, but Ireland enjoyed its hottest weekend of the year so far, with temperatures approaching 25 degrees in most parts of the country over the Bank Holiday weekend, according to Met Éireann.
The highest temperature was recorded at Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel where it reached 25.7 degrees on Sunday afternoon.
However, forecasters have admitted that they got it wrong the previous weekend, when predictions for similar sunny weather proved wide of the mark in most parts of the country.
"We were probably far too optimistic about last weekend," admitted Met Éireann forecaster, Mr Gerry Scully, "but this weekend was exactly what we expected. We were very pleased with our forecast."
The disappointing weather of the previous weekend was blamed on an area of high pressure coming in further south than expected. This left large parts of the country under a blanket of cloud, although south-western parts did experience blue skies and warm temperatures.
The poor weather of nine days ago contributed to making July one of coolest in 10 years, with temperatures well below the average expected for this time of the year.
Mr Scully acknowledged that a forecast of good weather which then fails to materialise causes great annoyance for many people.
"Everybody feels strongly disappointed if you predict warm weather and it doesn't arrive, but nobody cares if you get a forecast for rain wrong," he said.
But the recent warm weather was exactly as predicted, including the thunder storms of yesterday, Mr Scully said.
However, the sunny weather is not set to last, with cooler temperatures expected to return today.
Tomorrow is expected to have the best weather of the week, but temperatures will still be lower than they were over the weekend. Cloud and rain are expected to return towards the weekend.