Limerick to see soaring temperatures as national record could be broken in coming days
SCORCHING temperatures of up to 30 degrees are expected throughout Limerick this weekend as Met Éireann extends its high temperature warning.
The forecaster announced today that temperatures could reach the low 30s as they extended their yellow weather warning until Monday.
The national forecaster's hour-by-hour forecast shows Limerick reaching a temperature of 29 degrees by 4pm this Friday with a temperature of 30 degrees being forecast for Shannonside on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a temperature of 32 degrees is being forcecast by Met Eireann for Kilkenny and Carlow on Saturday while site Carlow Weather says that the HARMONIE model is showing 32 degrees today, Friday, and 33 degrees tomorrow for around Kilkenny and Carlow.
The highest temperature ever reported in Ireland was 33.3C at Kilkenny Castle in 1887. Met Éireann said this record stands but some have called in recent years for it be reassessed.
The current all time record for August is 31.5c from 1995 in Carlow.
"Interesting two days ahead," Carlow Weather tweeted this Friday.
On July 18 last, the day Limerick brought the Liam MacCarthy Cup back to Limerick, the Phoenix Park weather station in Dublin had its maximum air temperature since data was first recorded in the early 1830s, reaching 33.1°C around 2:40 pm.
In terms of the days ahead, according to Met Éireann meteorologist Gerry Murphy, the hottest part of the next few days will be between 2pm and 3:30pm.
Sunday will be another hot day with highest temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees with a chance of a thunderstorm and showers in the evening.
According to the forecaster this will be the first time this summer that “we can say with a high degree of confidence that heatwave criteria will be met in some parts of the country.”
The definition of a heat wave in Ireland is shaded air temperatures reaching highs of above 25 degrees on five or more consecutive days at the same location.
The overnight minimum temperatures throughout the weekend will be around 15 degrees.
The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) has also issued a fire danger notice which is in place until 12pm Tuesday, August 16.
Monday should bring a slow return to normal August temperatures, along with heavy scattered showers and possible thunder, however a weather warning is still in place until 6 pm.
The high temperatures have also forced Irish Water to issue a warning that reservoirs could dry out and have urged the public to take showers rather than baths and conserve water where they can.