Temperatures in some parts of the country once again exceeded 30 degrees on Saturday, but the record set on Friday for August’s hottest day on record is unlikely to be broken.
Met Éireann said on Saturday morning it would be another hot and sunny day, although there will be some rain later in the day which could turn heavy and thundery with hail in some parts, particularly around the midlands.
The hottest temperature of the day has been 30.7 degrees at Oak Park in Co Carlow. Elsewhere, temperatures climbed to 30.5 degrees at Moore Park in Co Cork.
Friday was officially the hottest August day on record with Oak Park reaching 31.7 degrees. It beat the previous August record of 31.5 degrees which was set in 1995 at the same weather station. A spokeswoman for Met Éireann said temperatures were unlikely to reach that level on Saturday.
[ The Irish Times view on extreme weather: sleepwalking into disasterOpens in new window ]
Moore Park also breached the 30 degree mark on Friday where temperatures climbed to 30.5 degrees.
A temperature of 31.7 degrees is about 11.8 degrees above the long-term average in an almost 30-year time frame.
Met Éireann has issued a status yellow weather warning for thunderstorms on Sunday. The warning is in place from 3pm for a 12 hour period.
The forecaster said: “While some places will stay dry, hit and miss thunderstorm activity along with hail and heavy downpours may lead to spot flooding & hazardous driving conditions.”
A status yellow high temperature warning for the entire country remains in place until 6am on Monday to take conditions through Sunday night into account. Temperatures are expected to recede next week.
Met Éireann warned people to be conscious of the risks of heat stress, especially for the more vulnerable of the population, the high solar UV index, and water related incidents.
Irish Water has imposed water restrictions on some parts of Co Donegal from 10pm on Saturday to 9am on Sunday.
It said the restrictions were required because demand was exceeding supply. They will apply to the Carrigart Water Supply Scheme, and the areas affected are Carrigart, Downings and Cranford.
“The restrictions are required to give the reservoir time to replenish, and are necessary during this offpeak time as there is a possibility there would be insufficient water supply to homes and businesses during daytime hours without measures being put in place,” it said.
Irish Water and Donegal County Council are “closely monitoring” water levels in a number of areas in the county and taking remedial measures to maintain normal supplies. However, the public is being asked to assist by taking steps to reduce their water use.
Irish Water said on Friday that 32 of its water supplies were in drought, with dozens more in potential drought. Its National Incident Management Team met to discuss the “escalating” situation.
The public has been asked to continue conserving water to help ensure critical supplies can be maintained over the coming weeks.
With public safety at risk due to the extreme conditions, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has asked people to be aware of potential causes of fire and said recent hot weather had led to “increased fire activity” linked to public recreation activities.
Saturday night will be warm with temperatures staying above 14 to 19 degrees. Most areas will be dry with clear spells but a few showers possibly continuing for a time early in the night in Ulster and Connacht and some of these may be heavy. Winds will be light and variable and patches of mist and fog will develop.
Sunday will be another hot day with temperatures reaching 25 to 30 degrees, although it will not be as hot in the north and northwest. Most parts of the country will be dry and sunny during the morning but there will be a few showers in northern areas, possibly heavy.
Throughout the course of the afternoon and evening, scattered heavy and thundery showers will develop across the country with some hail. Slow-moving downpours are possible, causing spot flooding. Winds will be light and variable.
