Temperatures forecast to hit 25C in Munster and Leinster on Friday
Walkers on the beach in bright sunshine at Garretstown, Co Cork. File Picture: Larry Cummins.
With temperatures predicted to reach 24C or even 25C, Friday looks set to be Ireland's hottest day of the year so far.
According to Met Éireann, tomorrow will begin dry and sunny for the most part, though there may be some showers over the west and north.
By the mid-afternoon, the forecaster says some areas in Munster and Leinster may see temperatures climb to highs of 25C.
Today too will be quite warm, particularly in the south, where the mercury could reach 22 degrees in light to moderate southerly winds.
The temperature increases here come as southern Europe continues to grapple with its second extreme heat event of this year.
Forecasters in both France and Spain say their countries are now experiencing temperatures not normally expected until late July or early August. Last month, both countries experienced their hottest ever May on record.
Météo France says temperatures have exceeded the 35C mark near the Mediterranean coast, with things expected to get even hotter this weekend.
Inland, Paris is expected to once again see temperatures of around 35C today and tomorrow, while parts of the Rhone valley look set to reach close to 40C.
French forecasters say such events - this one fuelled by an Atlantic low-pressure system between the Azores and Madeira and by a northward bulge in the jet stream pulling hot air north from northern Africa - rarely occur in June.
In Spain, temperatures for this week of June reached their highest levels in two decades.
Last weekend, Seville and Córdoba in Andalucía saw temperatures of 40C recorded.
In Extremadura, next to the border with Portugal, some towns saw the mercury climb to 42C.
"We are facing unusually high temperatures for June,” said a spokesperson for Spain's state meteorological office, Aemet.
Last year was the hottest and driest in Spain since records began, with an all-time high temperature of 47.4C recorded in Montoro in Andalucía in mid-August.
Across the Atlantic, the United States is also dealing with a severe heatwave.
More than 100 million people, mostly in the West, Midwest and South have been affected by soaring temperatures this week, with authorities warning residents to stay hydrated and to remain indoors when possible.
According to the US National Weather Service (NWS), temperatures at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago reached 36C (97F) on Wednesday - a level not previously reached since the summer of 1994.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, temperatures tied a record set in 1956 by reaching 43C (109F), and the NWS believes this may be surpassed over the coming days.
In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have been consistently above 42C for the past four days. Even during the night, temperatures only dropped to about 27C.
Temperatures reached 38C in Denver, Colorado, last weekend, equalling a record set in 2013. It was also the earliest day of the year in which the 35-degree barrier was reached in the Rocky Mountain city.
Parts of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio were also warned to expect the mercury to reach 43C (109F) in recent days.
In several states, the hot and dry conditions have provided the perfect conditions for wildfires.
Northern Arizona, California and New Mexico have all experienced large-scale blazes in recent weeks, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Check out the Irish Examiner's WEATHER CENTRE for regularly updated short and long range forecasts wherever you are.
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