A temperature of 28.3 degrees was recorded in Dublin on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after a nationwide Met Éireann hot weather warning came into effect.
The status yellow warning, which runs until Friday morning, advises that daytime temperatures in excess of 27 degrees are likely, with highs of up to 30 degrees possible on Thursday.
It notes potential impacts such as water-safety issues due to increased use of lakes and beaches, uncomfortable sleeping conditions with night-time minimums of 15 degrees forecast and heat stress.
Met Éireann confirmed the highest provisional temperature recorded on Tuesday was 28.3 degrees at Phoenix Park in Dublin at around 4pm.
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The high temperatures will also increase the risk of thunderstorms developing, with some expected in the northwest later in the week.
The hot weather is hitting Ireland as a heatwave hung over Europe, smashing temperature records in several cities on Monday.
France recorded its hottest day ever on Tuesday amid an exceptional heatwave, the national weather agency said.
Forty people have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas across France since June 18th, the prime minister Sébastien Lecornu said, as a record-breaking heatwave sweeps across much of Europe.
He said most of the victims are young people.
Two children also died after being left in a hot car in France.
Forecasters in Britain predicted temperatures could break records for June this week.
Gerry Murphy, Met Éireann forecaster and meteorologist, said Europe was experiencing a heat dome, which he described as an area of high pressure that compresses the air “down on to the Earth”, causing it to become “stagnant”.
As a result, he added, the “air is not moving anywhere so the temperature just keeps increasing”.
Keith Leonard, of the National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management, urged the public to check on older people during the warm weather, especially those living alone.
“These weather conditions can be a real strain for older people, so just check their houses are cool and that they have plenty of cold drinks and that they appear comfortable and check the HSE website for advice,” he told RTÉ Radio.
Leonard urged people to swim only in areas where there is a lifeguard given drowning poses a risk during warm weather.
“If there’s no lifeguard, don’t get in. Swim where you can be seen. Lakes, reservoirs and disused quarries are much colder than the sea, and they often hide a lot of hazards and can trap swimmers, or where swimmers can get out of their depth very quickly.”
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The HSE is advising the public to take extra precautions during the coming days as heat can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Wednesday is forecast to get off to a cloudy start, especially across the northern half of the country, while there will be good spells of sunshine further south. The sunshine will gradually become more widespread through the day.
Although many areas will stay dry on Wednesday, a few spots of light rain and drizzle are likely at times, mainly in Connacht and Ulster, and especially farther to the west.
Hot and humid conditions are being forecast, with highest temperatures 22 to 28 degrees. The warmest weather will be across the southern half of the country.
Met Éireann said Thursday “will be an exceptionally hot and humid day across Ireland”. Thunderstorms could affected Connacht and Ulster later in the day, especially the northwest region, but sunny and dry conditions are expected in the main.
“Highest temperatures will range 24 to 31 degrees, hottest across the midlands and west, a few degrees lower in some coastal parts, in mostly moderate east to southeast winds,” Met Éireann said.
A good deal of dry weather is forecast for Friday but some persistent heavy thundery rain will likely affect northwest Connacht and west Ulster at times.
High temperatures ranging from around 23 to 29 degrees are expected, hottest across central and eastern parts of country.
Mild and muggy conditions are expected on Friday night before rain starts to move in from the southwest and west.
Saturday is to be a mostly cloudy day with outbreaks of showery rain slowly becoming more widespread. Highest temperatures of 17 or 18 degrees are expected along the west coast and up to 23 or 24 degrees in the east.
“The last of the rain will clear eastward on Saturday night or early on Sunday and cooler, fresher conditions will become established across the country,” Met Éireann said.
