High temperatures are set to continue for the rest of the week with Met Éireann issuing Status Yellow warnings for most of the country.
A high temperature warning for Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway and Mayo is in place until 7am tomorrow, with the forecaster warning of temperatures possibly exceeding 27C, reports RTE.
A separate Status Yellow high temperature warning will come into effect at midday tomorrow until 6am on Friday, covering Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Donegal, as well as Munster and Connacht.
Met Éireann said the high temperatures could lead to heat stress, forest fires and drought, as well as uncomfortable sleeping conditions with overnight temperatures not dropping below 15C, reports RTE.
The forecaster said in an advisory that the hot spell will continue into the weekend and last into next week, with a chance of thunderstorms developing tomorrow and Thursday.
Deputy Head of Forecasting with Met Éireann, Aoife Kealy, said the very warm weather is due to continue into the middle of next week, reports RTE.
She said today will be sunny across the country with temperatures already exceeding 20C in many areas.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Ms Kealy said: “It is another very warm day right across the country… the highest temperatures are in the west and the southwest of the country. Tomorrow, we are going to see those high temperatures become more widespread,” reports RTE.
She added that another high temperature warning is going to come into effect tomorrow afternoon, covering almost all of the country with the exception of counties along the east coast and Monaghan.
The high pressure which has been bringing the settled spell is going to remain nearby, meaning dry, often sunny conditions with temperatures widely in the 20s, Ms Kealy said, reports RTE.
However, she said there is “the chance of a couple of heavy showers or isolated thunderstorms tomorrow in parts of Munster and west Connacht.”
“If these do occur, they will be very localised,” she said, adding that most areas will have plenty of dry weather right into tomorrow, reports RTE.
By Friday, a northerly airflow is going to become more established, bringing cooler temperatures into the west and northwest, with temperatures falling back towards the high teens.
“All across the rest of the country it is still going to be very warm. That high pressure isn’t going anywhere, the dry conditions continuing too,” she added, reports RTE.
Ms Kealy added that the good weather will last into early next week.
“As we move beyond Wednesday, there is a bit more uncertainty,” she said, adding that there is sufficient uncertainty that a change in weather is not definite, reports RTE.
Ahead of a hosepipe ban due to begin on Thursday in Dublin, south Tipperary, parts of Kildare, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow, DCU Water Institute assistant professor Dr Jenny Lawler said everyone should act as if they are already under the ban and be more responsible with water usage.
“We all need to do our part,” she said, adding that historical data shows hosepipe bans do work if implemented early enough and as long as people comply with them, reports RTE.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with David McCullough, Dr Lawler said that using a watering can — which is still permitted — to water plants saves 80% of water compared to a hose, which uses 15 litres per minute.
“Nobody is saying let your plants die, by all means get out there and water carefully and sensibly, early in the morning or late at night to avoid the hottest part of the day.
“You’ll still have a beautiful garden after all of this is over,” she added, reports RTE.
Breaches of the order could result in a fine of up to €5,000.
Outside of the affected areas, Uisce Éireann is appealing to all customers to reduce non-essential water use while supplies remain under pressure, reports RTE.
Since the heatwave began, emergency services have been dealing with a “significant amount” of callouts compared to previous summer periods in recent years.
A member of the Irish Coast Guard operations team said that last weekend alone there were 100 callouts from people getting into difficulty in the water, reports RTE.
Shane Dillon said: “It’s certainly busier than a normal period with a significant amount of callouts for ourselves, the national ambulance service and gardaí around the coast.
“There’s a lot more people along the shoreline and around coasts swimming or walking so we are asking people to be mindful of the weather conditions, the state of the sea, currents and tides,” reports RTE.
He said there had been an increase in cases of people using small, light paddle boards or small inflatables on the open sea, which are not intended for use beyond an enclosed waterway like a lake or pond and are not fit to cope with waves.
“We have had small craft warnings in operation, and we will continue to monitor the state of the sea and any weather situation, but people need to be aware that with the heatwave, it will be busier than normal on the shoreline and around coasts.
“If any member of the public sees someone in difficulty or suspects someone is in difficulty, call 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
“We are asking the public to keep an eye out for others, and to always be wary of their environment,” Mr Dillon added, reports RTE.
Yesterday, two multi-agency operations were launched after people got into difficulty in the water at Silver Strand and Magheramore Beach.
Two paddleboarders found themselves in trouble at Silver Strand, with one managing to get ashore and raise the alarm, and the Coast Guard alerted at around 2pm, reports RTE.
The second person was then located and airlifted to hospital by Rescue 116.
Later that evening, Wicklow RNLI said inshore and all-weather lifeboats were launched after four people were reported to have gotten into difficulty at Magheramore Beach, Co Wicklow, with all four managing to get ashore and be medically assessed, reports RTE.
Iain Fisher, Wicklow RNLI Launch Authority, said: “Two young people got into difficulties while playing on an inflatable toy in the water at Magheramore beach, a surfer and swimmer went to their aid and thankfully they all got ashore safely.”
He added: “Our advice is to leave all inflatable toys and airbeds on dry land or in the pool, and always remember, if going on the water to please wear a suitable flotation device and to ensure you have a means of calling for help should you get into difficulty,” reports RTE.
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