Ireland has provisionally beaten the August record for the hottest temperature.
Forecaster Met Eireann said that a weather station at Oak Park, Co. Carlow, recorded a temperature of 31.7C.
The previous record, 31.5C, which was recorded in August 1995 at Oak Park and in August 1975 in Ballybrittas, Co. Laois, has been surpassed.
A temperature of 31.7C is about 11.8C above the long-term average in an almost 30-year timeframe, the forecaster added.
In an attempt to protect essential supplies as the hot period lasts, Irish Water is requesting that consumers continue to save water.
37 of the utility authority’s 750 water supplies nationwide are implementing measures in a bid to ensure supply can meet increased demand.
Irish Water said that there has been “a steady increase in the number of supplies that are being impacted by drought conditions”.
“And the number of locations experiencing restrictions is likely to increase over the coming days and weeks as demand remains high due to the hot weather,” it added.
Met Eireann forecaster Siobhan Ryan said that it would feel very hot and humid over the weekend, and there will be some “thunderstorm activity” from Sunday night into Monday.
“A lot of the country, I would say, will stay dry for a lot of Sunday day.
“It’s probably later in the day that sharp downpours will develop, and it’s really Sunday night into Monday they become more widespread.”
Leinster and Munster should have the highest temperatures, she noted in an interview with RTE Drivetime.