Southern and western counties are expected to again face temperatures of up to 30 degrees over the next few days, bringing the possibility of heat stress and forest fires, Met Éireann has warned.
The national forecaster has issued status yellow high temperature warnings for 10 counties: Cork, Galway, Limerick, Kerry, Mayo, Clare, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Laois and Offaly. The heat warning takes effect at 1pm today and lasts until 7am on Monday.
A second warning will affect counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway and Mayo from 1pm on Monday to 7am on Wednesday.
Met Éireann says these areas will likely see temperatures of over 27 degrees, with some places reaching 30 degrees.
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Saturday saw a maximum temperature of 28.2 degrees recorded at Moore Park weather station in Co Cork, followed by 27.5 at Oak Park station in Co Carlow.
Overnights are predicted to be above 15 degrees and humid in these areas, making sleeping uncomfortable for many.
Elsewhere, it will also be hot, with long spells of sunshine. The forecaster predicts it will be just a little milder along the east coast, with temperatures of up to 25 degrees in Dublin on Sunday. Lowest temperatures overnight are expected to be somewhere between 14 and 18 degrees in the capital.
The national water utility, Uisce Éireann, is urging the public to conserve water during the hot and dry spell, as it said treated drinking water use is “exceptionally high”. The urgent appeal came on foot of a new record for daily water use in the greater Dublin area, with 693 million litres used in one day. It said the increase is driven by garden watering, power hosing and other outdoor domestic use.
There are pressures on other areas’ water supplies, and the utility has imposed night-time water usage restrictions on 25 water supplies. Households affected are predominantly in Kilkenny, Tipperary, Donegal, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Meath.
Uisce Éireann said on Friday the greater Dublin area was not facing water curbs, but night-time restrictions were “under active consideration” if water use did not reduce.
“While Uisce Éireann is working to avoid restrictions where possible, this pattern of continued high use is increasing risk to supplies. Reservoir levels are dropping by up to 30 million litres on peak usage days, underlining the need for urgent conservation now by everyone,” it said.
Met Éireann predicts widespread sunshine across Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures reaching the mid to high 20s by day, with warm and “possibly tropical” nights.
Wednesday is expected to be dry and sunny for most, but some heavy showers and thunderstorms could develop, most likely in parts of the south and west. It will again be very warm or hot, reaching up to 28 degrees but a little cooler near the east coast.
With the hot and dry weather continuing into Thursday for most, the forecaster says there is also a chance of showers and thunderstorms, again in southern and western areas. Up to 28 degrees is again predicted.
Current indications show a mix of sunshine and showers further towards the end of the week, Met Éireann says. There is also a chance the very warm spell could continue.
The Dogs Trust charity has warned pet owners never to leave their dogs unattended in a parked car for even a few minutes.
“Many owners underestimate how quickly the temperature inside a vehicle can rise. On a warm day, the inside of a parked car can become dangerously hot within minutes, creating conditions that can quickly become life-threatening for dogs,” the charity said.
