The public has been urged to cut hosepipe usage over the weekend due to record water consumption and rising temperatures.
A status yellow high temperature warning is in effect for 13 counties on Friday, with temperatures expected to reach in excess of 27 degrees.
Met Éireann issued the warning for counties Carlow, Cork, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford from 1pm on Friday to 7am on Sunday.
Uisce Éireann has issued a statement, urgently calling on the public to reduce hosepipe and powerhose use for as long as the hot, dry weather continues as treated drinking water use remains “exceptionally high”.
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The urgent appeal comes following a new record for daily water use in the greater Dublin aea where 693 million litres was used in one day. This is eight million litres more than the last reported record in May and 50 million litres above the year-to-date average.
“The increase in water usage is being driven by a combination of garden watering, power hosing and other outdoor domestic use during this prolonged hot and dry weather,” Uisce Éireann said in a statement. “While the Greater Dublin Area, which includes counties Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, has recorded the highest water use, supplies are also under pressure in parts of Wexford and South Tipperary.
“Night-time restrictions in the Greater Dublin Area are under active consideration if water use is not reduced.”
The utility said that it is working to avoid restrictions where possible but the pattern of continued high use is increasing risk to supplies, it said.
“Reservoir levels are dropping by up to 30 million litres on peak usage days, underlining the need for urgent conservation now by everyone,” they added.
A weather advisory is in place across the country generally, flagging a “prolonged spell of very warm or hot weather... with heatwave conditions”, until Tuesday.
Water safety issues due to increased use of lakes and beaches, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, and heat stress and dehydration, especially for the vulnerable and elderly, have all been flagged as potential risks.
Friday will be mostly dry with hazy sunny spells. The west and northwest will be cloudier, with isolated showers. It will be warmest in the south, with temperatures of 21 to 29 degrees.
Friday night will be mostly clear, with mist and fog patches to the northwest. The west and southwest may experience some isolated showers. Lowest temperatures will be from 14 to 17 degrees.
Met Éireann has said Saturday will be another very hot day, but cooler in the north. In the west and northwest, it will be cloudier. Highest temperatures will range from 18 to 29 degrees.
It will be clear for most of Saturday night, with lowest temperatures of 13 to 17 degrees.
At first the west and north will be cloudy on Sunday, but sunshine will become widespread across the country, with highest temperatures of 22 to 29 degrees.
Uncomfortable sleeping conditions will continue on Sunday night, with temperatures not falling below 14 to 19 degrees.
The warm weather will continue into next week, as the national forecaster said Monday will be very warm, with highest temperatures of 22 to 28 degrees, warmest in the south and west.
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The high pressure will bring hot temperatures, with widespread sunshine and blue skies.
Met Éireann said the UV Index is also expected to be high to very high.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Met Office said 34.4 degrees was recorded at Wisley in Surrey on Thursday, breaking the previous record of seven days of such temperatures set in the summers of 1976 and 2020.
The record for the number of days the UK has seen temperatures reach or exceed 34 degrees in a calendar year has been broken, the Met Office said.
European forecasters confirmed that last month was western Europe’s hottest June on record and the second hottest June globally.
