Astronomers and space enthusiasts have watched as Mercury made a rare transit of the Sun.

Could it be that we’re actually kind of getting something akin to a summer?

Working in the sun can be deadly - more than one person employed outdoors dies every week from skin cancer.

Anyone hoping for sunshine on the Bank Holiday weekend will be disappointed as there is plenty of rain predicted by Met Éireann.

IT has always been something of a mystery to me as to when “summer” starts, but the most commonly accepted definition seems to be on 1st June, in which case summer covers the months of June-July-August.

There will be a real feel of summer this week as the mercury begins to climb, according to Met Éireann.

Met Eireann predicts temperatures of 19 degrees next week.

The warm weather is to continue today in many areas with hazy sunshine expected after clearance of fog this morning, according to Met Éireann.

Met Éireann has issued a status yellow wind warning for most parts of the country today but the forecast is set to change dramatically later this week.

What a summer it’s been. What a great joy the long, uninterrupted periods of Costa weather were. But, like all pleasures, there is a price to pay — and like many a holiday credit card bill, its extent is not yet known.

With the heatwave of recent weeks, and cases of skin cancer set to soar in the next 20 years, it’s important to know how best to shield your body from the sun, writes Peta Beep

A number of children have been admitted to hospital with severe sunburn over the past week.

When I am too hot at work I like to open a window, retrieve an ice lolly from the kitchen and kick off my shoes, writes Craig Knight.

Met Éireann says the weekend will see temperatures soar to at least 24 degrees.

All the sunshine was good while it lasted!

Siobhan McCarthy was one of the lucky ones who spotted her melanoma early enough for treatment. Others need to vigilant, writes Arlene Harris.

After a cold and dreary winter that seemed to go on forever, the arrival of what appears to be summer will, hopefully, allow the young and old alike to enjoy the delights of the outdoors.

Few industries have benefited as much from new technology advances as solar photovoltaics (PV), the fastest growing renewable energy business across the world in the last decade.

Warm weather will finally be arriving on our shores as temperatures are due to hit the high teens next week.

Santa in the sun? Ciara McDonnell checks out the best deals. 

I’m the person at barbecues dressed in what basically amounts to a bee-keeper’s uniform, writes Louise O’Neill.

Fancy a 99? Or how about an old fashioned wafer — ripple, preferably — to stay cool in this heat?

We had to wait a little longer than usual, but the Irish summer has finally arrived.

Sunglasses or umbrellas?

Just a few days to go.

Another day of blue, cloudless, sunny skies as the good weather continues into the week, but make the most of it while you can, as it is not meant to last much longer.

Temperatures are set to soar to 17C today.

People are being urged to consider taking a vitamin supplement in the winter months to ensure they get enough vitamin D.

Last month was the hottest June in history.

There are two main events to keep an eye out for in August — the annual Perseid meteor shower on August 12 and 13, and a “close encounter” between Jupiter and Venus on August 27. 

Last month was the warmest June of the decade so far in most of Ireland, but many parts of the country also endured much more rain than average.

Although the summer nights are gradually getting longer, they remain short in July and even away from city lights there is a faint glow in the night sky, writes Niall Smith.

A woman with melanoma, a form of skin cancer, handed out sun hats to primary school children yesterday as part of her campaign to encourage them to be sun smart.

Ireland is lookin' well.

Dance like no one is watching-and then put it on Facebook!

It looks like the good weather is here to stay throughout next week, with long, sunny spells forecast and any showers dying out.

Ryanair is to extend its summer services from Cork to three destinations into its winter 2016 schedule.

Motorists are being warned of the danger posed by sun glare as provisional figures indicate drivers temporarily blinded by the sun may have contributed to five fatalities and nine serious injuries in the last two years.

It’s been a big year for NASA what with finding water on Mars, new images of Pluto and the announcement of a manned mission to Mars.