Don't bring in the barbecue just yet, the fine spell will last until Wednesday at least. That was the message from Met Eireann yesterday as people took to the beaches and parks to make the most of the Indian-summer weather.
All over the country temperatures soared to between 18s0] and 24s0] C. Even on the extreme south and eastern coasts where cool breezes blew, temperatures were well above average for September.
Stuck in his Dublin office yesterday, Met Eireann meteorologist Mr Vincent O'Shea lamented that while the service had accurately forecast the present heatwave, his work schedule prevented him from taking advantage of it.
He said the warm spell was due to an anti-cyclone over Britain and the North Sea which is keeping Atlantic weather systems at bay. Meanwhile, its southern flank is steering a very warm, dry air mass up over Ireland and Britain. The result for most of western Europe has been a much-welcomed late burst of summer weather.
The list of hot spots was never-ending yesterday. Shannon 24.5s0] C, Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel 24s0]C, exposed Malin Head 23s0]C. While the temperatures didn't break records, they were far above the traditional September average of between 16 and 18s0]C.
Sun-worshippers will be heartened to hear that the warm weather is expected to last until the middle of the week.
The likelihood is that by Thursday the sunshine will make way for less settled weather and a risk of thundery showers, although it is still expected to stay warm.