As a nationwide Status Yellow temperature warning continues, Met Eireann forecasts highs of 30 degrees Celsius in some regions of the country today.
Yesterday, the temperature in Carlow reached 30.5.
Since yesterday at noon, the whole nation has been under a status yellow temperature alert. On Sunday, it is expected to lift at 6 a.m.
Today is expected to be a hot, dry, and sunny day with highs averaging 25 to 30 degrees, with a few inland Leinster or Munster locations maybe reaching the low 30s.
The coasts will be coolers, with sea breezes developing in the afternoon and fog in some areas.
Paul Downes, a Met Éireann meteorologist, has said that “forthe first time this summer we can say with a high degree of confidence that heatwave criteria will be met in some parts of the country.”
The definition of a heat wave in Ireland is shaded air temperatures reaching highs of above 25˚ C on five or more consecutive days at the same location.
This criteria is likely to be met in inland areas in Leinster and Munster.
It will be “uncomfortably warm” at night, with temperatures often staying above 15 degrees, according to Met Éireann. In addition to a high solar UV index and the possibility of water-related incidents, the forecaster warned of heat stress, especially for vulnerable persons.
Ireland recorded its hottest temperature in at least 135 years last month. The Met Éireann measuring site at Phoenix Park in Dublin hit 33 degrees Celsius on 18 July.