Sunshine to continue in Ireland as Europe hit by wild fires

Mon, 11 Jul, 2022 - 10:30

Steve Neville and Barry Hatton

The scorching weather is set to continue for most of the week, with temperatures to reach up to 27C in parts of the country.

Sunday was the hottest day of the year so far, with the mercury tipping 26C in the midlands.

On Saturday, the weather station at Moorepark in Co Cork recorded 24.9C, the highest temperature at any official station in the country that day.

Monday is to continue in similar fashion, with long spells of hazy sunshine and temperatures again hitting the mid-to-high 20s.

Meteorologist Matthew Martin said: "It's going to be another warm and sunny day especially in the east and south. Again, we could tip 26C, possibly 27C in the greater Dublin area. I reckon that will be the warmest area."

Temperatures will dip slightly on Tuesday.

"We're going to see a bit of a change then in the west and north through the second half of Monday.

"We're going to see increasing cloud there and it will turn a bit breezier with some patchy rain moving into the northwest tomorrow [Monday] evening, and then that's going to gradually push southeast and through the rest of the country Monday night into Tuesday and by Tuesday it'll be that bit fresher right across the country," he told RTÉ.

Temperatures are expected to range between 17C and 24C from Wednesday to Friday with most areas seeing sunshine.

Forest fires in Europe

Meanwhile, parts of Europe are being hit by forest fires and soaring temperatures.

Portugal’s government has declared a state of alert due to a heightened risk of wildfires.

Temperatures in the area could reach highs of 43C.

The weather brings with it “a significant worsening of the wildfire risk” until July 15, a joint statement from five government departments said.

In Spain, temperatures are forecast to climb to 42C in some areas along the border with Portugal.

Italy also recently endured a prolonged heatwave and is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years.

Elsewhere, a heatwave in Britain has prompted officials to issue a heat-health alert for some regions. Those in affected areas are advised to shade or cover windows and check on the vulnerable and the elderly.

The UK Health Security Agency warning will be in force from today until July 15, including regions in the southeast and east of England.

High pressure continues to control the weather in the UK into next week, with highs of 31C possible on Monday and above 32C on Tuesday.

The heatwave looks set to subside later in the week, when a cold front is expected to start pushing in.

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