Heat warning: Ireland to hit 31C on what could be the hottest day of the week

Ireland set for another sweltering day

The warning covers all of Leinster plus Tipperary and stays in force until 6am on Friday.

Highs of 30C have already been recorded at Oak Park in Carlow and Casement Aerodrome in Dublin this week, with the Phoenix Park also believed to have hit 30 degrees, The Journal reports.

The best of the heat will again be in eastern counties such as Wexford, Dublin and Wicklow, while coastal parts of the west and southwest will sit closer to 20 degrees with some mist and fog.

A Met Éireann forecaster said, as reported by the Irish Mirror: “Today will be another humid and a generally very warm or hot day with variable cloud and some sunny spells, the best of these across the midlands and east.” Scattered thunderstorms are possible in parts of Connacht, Ulster and west Munster.

What the heat warning means

Met Éireann has flagged possible water safety issues due to increased use of beaches and waterways, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, heat stress and animal welfare concerns.

Meteorologist Liz Walsh told RTÉ Radio One that while a yellow warning will not affect most people, “they might affect more vulnerable members of society, such as the elderly, very young, and others with underlying health conditions”.

Cloud and showery rain will start to push eastwards this evening, and while heatwave conditions have not quite been met, it is a dramatic turn from Met Éireann's August forecast, which had suggested a more unsettled month. The warning lifts at 6am on Friday.