Met Éireann has issued a status yellow weather warning with highest temperatures of 22 to 28 degrees forecast.
The current warm spell is set to last until the weekend, thanks to a sustained spell of high pressure over the country.
The warning has been issued for counties Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary.
0 of 6
It is valid from noon until 7pm.
The highest temperature recorded so far today was 25.4 degrees although levels are expected to continue rising into the early evening. Met Éireann said temperatures could exceed 27.1 degrees (the highest temperature recorded yesterday and so far this year) in parts of Munster by tea time.
This morning temperature as high as 29 degrees were forecast for some areas of the country although this now seems unlikely.
In Dublin, Gardaí have set up checkpoints at Dart stations near beaches and piers to confiscate alcohol from young people. A Garda spokeswoman said the force will have a large presence around beach areas such as Howth during prolonged spells of sunny weather during the summer months.
The DSPCA, meanwhile, has called on pet owners to ensure their dogs don’t get too hot in the sunny weather. The organistion said not to leave dogs in cars, glass conservatories or caravans and advised people to be aware of symptoms of heatstroke including heavy panting, very red gums/tongue and vomiting.
Most of the country will enjoy broadly uninterrupted sunshine and continued warm weather today and tomorrow, although the north will be slightly cooler.
Temperatures are due to fall over the weekend, but it should remain pleasant. A return to more unsettled weather is expected at the start of next week.
"Temperatures will be reaching 24 or 25 degrees widespread tomorrow, so pretty much the whole country except the north will experience it, where they're looking at 20 to 22 degrees," said Met Éireann forecaster Karla Finkele.
Met Éireann said “absolute highs” of 29 degrees could be recorded in some parts of the country today.
“Right now we have the high pressure right over us, but early next week it looks like it will get pushed out a little bit, but it’s still quite hard to predict how the high pressure influence will continue,” added Ms Finkele.