Ireland is set for a balmy weekend, with temperatures reaching highs of 27 degrees on Saturday.
A ridge of high pressure, bringing hot and sunny weather from the Azores, is due to settle over most of the country on Friday. Temperatures will start to rise early that afternoon, peaking at 24 degrees in the east of the country.
Saturday and Sunday will see the best of the warm spell. Temperatures across Leinster and Munster will be in the mid-20s on both days, with highs of up to 27 degrees in the Greater Dublin Area on Saturday.
There will be a distinct east-west split that day, however, with temperatures of just 16 to 19 degrees along northern and western coasts. But the fine weather will extend to all parts of the country on Sunday, with highs of 24 degrees in parts of south Leinster.
Monday will also be warm, with temperatures in the low 20s.
Less settled conditions are expected from Tuesday, although Met Éireann says there is a 20 per cent chance of the good weather lasting for a few more days.
The fine weather will be a welcome respite from cool, showery conditions that have prevailed across the country recently. Temperatures have struggled to reach the seasonal average in most places, and June has been particularly wet so far. Parts of south Leinster have received three times the normal rainfall for the month, and parts of Ulster have had twice the normal rainfall.
