Get the sunscreen out and keep applying it all week as the settled weather in Ireland is expected to continue into the weekend, with highs of up to 18 degrees in store.
According to Met Éireann forecasters there is just the chance of an “odd shower” on Wednesday and “just one or two light showers” on Thursday, with temperatures in much of the country above the average of 15 degrees for this time of the year.
The Irish Meteorological Service forecasts a moderate UV rating through the week and advises the public to follow the ‘five Ss’ approach. This includes slipping on clothing that covers your skin; slopping on sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 for adults and 50 for children; slapping on a wide brimmed hat; seeking shade during midday hours; and sliding on sunglasses.
Those with allergies should prepare for a high pollen count on Tuesday and Wednesday, the latest days for which a forecast is made.
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Tuesday will be dry with spells of sunshine though cloud may build through the afternoon with highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees in a light variable breeze.
Tuesday night will be largely clear according to Met Éireann, “though a few mist and fog patches are possible” with lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees in light winds. There is a chance of an “odd light shower” on Wednesday, although it will be mostly dry and mild with highest temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees.
It will remain dry overnight with long clear spells for most of the country.
Thursday will be another dry day with sunny spells, just one or two light showers and highest temperatures of 12 to 17 degrees, with western areas expected to get the warmest temperatures.
Friday’s temperatures will range from 13 to a high of 18 degrees and it will be “dry with long spells of sunshine”, warmest in the West in light easterly breezes.
The weekend is set to be warm with “plenty of dry and sunny weather, though the occasional shower or patch of light rain is possible”.
Longer range forecasting is trickier but Met Éireann says the indications into and beyond the middle of the month are that the generally warm and dry weather will continue. However, there could be wetter than average spells later in the month.
For those taking to the water, sea surface temperatures around Irish coasts and over the Atlantic are expected to be above average during May, June and July, trending 0.5 to 2.0 degrees higher than normal generally. Sea surface temperatures are expected to be highest in comparison to normal off the south and West coasts.
Met Éireann said its modelling points to average temperatures of between 0.5 and 1 degrees warmer than average over the months of May, June and July.
“The rainfall forecast is less certain,” it said in it seasonal outlook for May, June, July, with the potential for both wetter and drier than normal periods.
Last year was the fourth warmest year on record in Ireland, with 2023 the warmest. However, June and July 2024 were actually relatively cool according to Met Éireann. Most areas received below average rainfall over the course of the year.
Last month was the third-warmest April on record, producing a record high temperature for the time of year with 25.9 degrees recorded in Athenry, Co Galway on the final day of the month.
