'Mini Donegal heatwave' as temperatures rocket to 26.5C this afternoon

Donegal temperatures have officially hit the 26.5C mark as of 5pm this Saturday afternoon, the Met Eireann weather station at Finner Camp has confirmed.

This is the second day running that the temperature has hit "heatwave" criteria (above 25C), but the temperature would still need to continue at this rate until Tuesday at the earliest, for it to be declared a 'Donegal heatwave'.

Across the border in Castlederg, Co Tyrone the thermometer was registering 27C by mid afternoon. 

So we are very much in mini heatwave territory, with Donegal also under a moderate thunderstorm warning from 3pm on Sunday until 3am on Monday.

Earlier this week, meteorologist Paul Downes from Met Eireann expressed the view to DonegalLive.ie that he personally did not subscribe to the use of the term 'mini heatwave'.    

An unofficial temperature reading from Patrick kelly in Killygordon yesterday also saw the mercury in East Donegal hit the 26 degree mark, he confirmed to this website.  

Thunderstorms warning for Donegal from tomorrow afternoon

The county's only other official weather station at Malin Head recorded a much more respectable 18C by the middle of this afternoon.

Ireland hottest August temperature since records began occurred On Saturday at Oak Park in Carlow reached 31.7C.