Sun not going anywhere with hot weather set to continue

Highest temperature of year recorded on Saturday

Dublin's Grand Canal at Portobello was busy on Saturday evening as revellers took to the water to cool down. Video: anish.85/instagram

The hot weather of recent days is set to continue with temperatures of 27 degrees anticipated in the first half of the week.

All parts of the country will experience temperatures well above average for the time of year as the good weather which began on Friday stretches into a second week.

The highest temperature of the year (26.8 degrees) was recorded at Phoenix Park in Dublin on Saturday. Sunday's high of 25.2 degrees was recorded at Oak Park in Co Carlow.

Early indications suggest that another record temperature for the year could be recorded in the southwest, with highs of 27 degrees expected on Monday.

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It will be a north-south split with glorious sunshine expected in Munster and south Leinster. Cooler temperatures of between 16 and 19 degrees will be experienced in north Connacht and Ulster.

Tuesday and Wednesday will also be warm days with the southwest expecting temperatures of 26 degrees on Tuesday.

Wednesday looks as if it will be the best day nationwide with sunshine across the country. The northwest which has avoided much of the good weather will see temperatures of up to 26 degrees especially in east Connacht.

That will be probably be as good as it gets as on Thursday a cold front will approach from the Atlantic bringing with it more unsettled conditions.

"When you have temperatures like that and you have got the moist air moving in from the Atlantic, that is going to spark off thunderstorms," said Met Éireann forecaster Liz Walsh.

She said the recent spell of good weather could – technically speaking – constitute a heatwave with five successive days of temperatures four degrees above normal for the time of year.

Temperatures will be closer to normal during the second half of the week with it feeling notably cooler.

“Cooler in June does not necessarily mean the worst. It means 15-20 degrees rather than to 20-27 degrees,” she said.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times