Ireland to benefit from Indian Summer following weeks of rain

Making the most of the sunshine on Claycastle and Redbarn beaches in Co Cork during last month's heatwave. Picture: Denis Minihane

The country is set to get one last blast of summer sunshine this week.

After a lot of rain in the past couple of weeks, there is to be a change in the weather with very little precipitation expected.

Met Éireann Meteorologist, Siobhan Ryan, said it is not an exaggeration to describe this week's weather as a "mini-heatwave."

"Certainly right up to the end of the weekend, will be in the low twenties, maybe even reaching 23 or 24 degrees locally, but the real warm days at the moment seem to be Wednesday and Thursday in over the bulk of the country.

"Into next week, indications are still warm and settled weather, however, temperatures will probably begin to dip back," she said.

Generally speaking, this is a good news weather story.

Today is set to be dry and largely sunny after the early morning fog fades away and the day is to get brighter and warmer, with highs of up to 25 degrees.

Many parts starting sunny☀️ this morning but there's fog in places, particularly in parts of Leinster & Ulster. The fog will retreat back to the coasts in the next few hours & it will become warm🌡️ by afternoon with highs of 19 to 25C. pic.twitter.com/Ijfe3AUT3E

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) August 24, 2021

The highest temperatures are to be on Wednesday and Thursday as high pressure will move across the country and bring a "nice end" to the summer, according to Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather. 

"High pressure is going to move up over Ireland now and we are going to have a nice spell of sunny, dry — even a little bit warmer weather," Mr O'Reilly said. 

"A good week ahead with good sunny spells most days, light winds, and temperatures climbing up. 

"A nice end to the last week of the meteorological season of summer and it looks like it's going to be a very nice week indeed," he said. 

Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann Evelyn Cusask has said southern and western parts of the country can expect the best of the weather.

The highest temperatures actually will be in the west and south but very pleasant everywhere. 

"Temperatures ranging about 20 degrees up as high as 25 on Wednesday and Thursday," she said. 

However, it won't be as hot as the heatwave last month, but the band of high pressure over the country is to bring good conditions.

"It's going to get a little bit warmer each day really: 24 degrees possibly by Tuesday, and then Wednesday and Thursday we could even see 25 degrees. 

"So it is going to be warm. Not quite as warm as what we saw in the heatwave in July, so we are not probably going to get to a heatwave but is going to be nice warm weather," said Mr O'Reilly. 

The Carlow weatherman said five days of weather exceeding 25 degrees is needed to achieve heatwave status, something that is not likely this week, although the weekend could still turn out fine. 

"You need to get five days of 25 degrees for a heatwave. So that's unlikely. But it does look like while it might turn a little bit less warm for the end of the week, the good fine settled weather could continue into the weekend," he said.