As temperatures rise across Ireland this week, people are being urged to take care as they enjoy the summer sunshine.
A Status Yellow high temperature warning is in place until 9am on Friday for all of Ireland, with temperatures set to reach as high as 30c by Thursday, reports RTE.
The director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management has called on people to enjoy but be careful during the hot spell.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Keith Leonard said the hot weather will have different impacts on different people, and that high temperatures can be a real strain for elderly people in particular, reports RTE.
He called on people to check on their elderly neighbours to make sure they have plenty of cold drinks and that their homes are adequately cool.
Mr Leonard also urged caution when swimming, saying that if there is no lifeguard present, people should not enter the water, reports RTE.
He said people should swim where they can be seen, and that lakes, reservoirs and disused quarries can be much colder than the sea and often hide hazards that can trap swimmers.
“I can understand the temptation for people who live close to those bodies of water, but the advice is absolutely unfortunately there’s an uptick every time there’s hot weather like this in drownings, particularly lakes, reservoirs and quarries, disused quarries,” he said, reports RTE.
He also issued a warning about wildfires during the hot spell, adding “we’re just asking people to take a common sense approach” by not lighting barbecues in wildland areas and by being mindful of any activity that could cause a fire to start, because once a wildfire takes hold “they’re very difficult to extinguish.”
Met Éireann has said that exceptionally warm weather will occur across Ireland this week, but that there is also a likelihood of thunderstorms towards the end of the week, with temperatures peaking on Thursday, reports RTE.
Mr Leonard said people should bear in mind that there is always the potential for high-intensity rainfall events following hot spells.
Met Éireann said a plume of extremely hot air from Europe has moved toward Ireland, bringing hot and humid conditions that will build throughout the week, reports RTE.
The UK Met Office said the highest temperatures in Northern Ireland would be around 25C today, followed by dry and very warm days with sunny spells and “perhaps very hot on Thursday” with potentially “some thundery showers” into Friday.
Meanwhile, dozens of schools have been forced to close and people are being warned against all but essential travel in parts of England and Wales amid rare red warnings over extreme temperatures expected to hit record highs for June, with the red weather warning covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham from 9am tomorrow until 9pm on Thursday, reports RTE.
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