Ireland in the middle of another scorcher as heatwave continues

Thursday recorded as hottest May day at Malin Head since records began

The people of Galway enjoy the summer sunshine as pupils from Scoil Iognaid put on a street show in Medieval Galway city centre as part of Bádóirí an Cladaig (Claddagh Boatmen) Traditional Boat Festival. Video: Joe O'Shaughnessy

Best figure out how to sneak out of work early and get to the beach before the masses because Friday is another scorcher.

Temperatures are due to reach 25 degrees again on Friday, following on from Thursday which was the hottest day of the year so far and the warmest May day at Malin Head since records began.

Thursday’s brilliant sunshine has stayed with us on Friday with temperatures set to range between 20 and 25 degrees.

The clear skies will be interrupted by heavy and thundery showers in parts of west Ulster, Connacht and west Munster but the weather will remain dry elsewhere with hazy sunshine.

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Friday night will be warm and muggy with thundery rain in many areas.

The heat will begin to ease slightly on Saturday with temperatures ranging between 15 and 20 degrees with heavy, thundery rain for most of the morning. Saturday night will be generally dry with clear spells and temperatures falling to between 7 and 10 degrees.

Met Éireann has issued a status yellow weather warning that Saturday's heavy rain could lead to local flooding in some areas.

The warm weather is set to stay until at least Monday with temperatures hanging around the 20 degrees mark. A band of rain is forecast to cross the country early on Tuesday followed by mainly dry weather with sunny spells and temperatures of 14 to 18 degrees. Temperatures in the second half of the week are expected to range in the mid to high teens.

Temperatures at Malin Head, Co Donegal reached 25.1 degrees for three consecutive hours on Thursday, the highest since records began in 1885, beating a previous high of 24.7 degrees recorded on May 31st, 1978.

According to Gerald Fleming of Met Éireann the best of the weather was in the midlands and northwest with temperatures well into the 20s in Galway, Roscommon, Mayo and Donegal.

The temperature at Athenry in Co Galway shortly after 6pm was 25.6 degrees. A high of 23.7 was recorded at Mount Dillon in north Roscommon.

The temperature in Dublin reached 24.7 degrees, very warm and pleasant but not exceeding the previous May record of 26.8 degrees recorded in 1922.

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish Times reporter specialising in immigration issues and cohost of the In the News podcast

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien

Tim O'Brien is an Irish Times journalist