Met Éireann has issued a new high temperature warning for 10 counties, while people have been urged to conserve water.
Uisce Éireann said that water is being consumed quicker than it can be produced and replenished in local reservoirs, reports RTE.
The new Status Yellow high temperature warning covers Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Kilkenny, Laois and Offaly and will come into effect from 1pm tomorrow until 7am on Monday.
Met Éireann said highest daytime temperatures could reach higher than 27C, while at night temperatures could stay as high as 15C, reports RTE.
An existing Status Yellow high temperature warning for 13 counties will remain in place until 7am tomorrow.
That warning covers Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford, with temperatures expected to reach as high as 30C in places, reports RTE.
A Met Éireann weather advisory said the prolonged spell of hot weather will last into next week.
The forecaster said heat stress and uncomfortable sleeping conditions can be expected, and also warned of water safety issues as people flock to lakes and beaches, as well as the possibility of forest fires, reports RTE.
**Appeal to homes and businesses**
Uisce Éireann is urging people to conserve water in six regions with a combined population of almost two and a half million.
These areas are the Cooley Peninsula, west Cork and parts of north Cork, the Greater Dublin area, south Leitrim and Tipperary, reports RTE.
Uisce Éireann said the imposition of night-time restrictions in the Greater Dublin area is being considered and may be introduced if the level of water usage is not reduced.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Saturday with Cormac Ó hEadhra, Uisce Éireann’s Regional Water Operations Manager for the Eastern Region Stephen Burke said the utility is preparing for the possibility of a hosepipe ban, reports RTE.
“It is great to have the hot weather, but we have a very big ask of the population and that is to do everything they can possibly to do help us conserve water,” he said.
“We are doing everything we can to avoid restrictions at the moment,” reports RTE.
He said the introduction of a water conservation order or hosepipe ban “is not off the table.”
“Our real ask is to put away the hose,” he said, reports RTE.
He said Uisce Éireann has ramped up resources and have people working around the clock at plants and networks, finding and fixing leaks and optimising pressure.
Yesterday, the utility said the increase in water usage is being driven by a combination of garden watering, power hosing and other outdoor domestic use, and that the pattern of continued high use is increasing risk to supplies, reports RTE.
It said reservoir levels are dropping by up to 30 million litres on peak usage days, which it said shows the need for urgent conservation.
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