TEMPERATURES are set to soar to a scorching 22C today and Met Eireann have revealed exactly where the hottest places will be.
It comes amid a mini-heatwave this week and weekend with temperatures of up to 25C possible.
Temperatures will get up to 22C[/caption]
Warm temperatures today will be accompanied by dry conditions with spells “hazy sunshine”.
Met Eireann’s Liz Walsh said: “It’s like a summer’s morning out there with high pressure set to dominate Ireland’s weather for the rest of this week and through the bank holiday weekend bringing broadly settled conditions.
“It’s going to be very warm for the time of year today and tomorrow, curtesy of a south easterly airflow, drawing warm air up over us from the continent.”
It will be warmest inland today, particularly in the midlands and parts of Munster.
Dublin will also reach highs of 22C to 23C at times today.
It will be slightly cooler along coasts but temperatures here still reaching 19C to 20C in places like Galway, Clare and Kerry.
Costal temperatures along the east of Ireland will be cooler sitting around 17C and 18C.
Tonight temperatures will dip slightly to 7C to 11C in a dry night with a mix of clear spells and cloud.
Some mist and fog will develop overnight too.
But for tomorrow, Meteorologist Cathal Nolan of Ireland’s Weather Channel has weighed in on where might break the highest temperature record for April as temperatures climb even higher.
He explained: “In meteorological history the warmest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 25.6C on the 26th of April, 1984. However, on Wednesday, we have a chance of breaking that temperature somewhere across the country.
“But where? Well at the moment as winds fall light on Wednesday there’s a number of places I believe we may see this temperature record being challenged.
“But those areas require local factors like altitude, proximity to water, wind direction and speed, and the antecedent temperatures.
“Areas that will likely strike the balance will be parts of the Shannon Estuary basin around Limerick/Shannon, areas in Kerry between Killarney and Killorglin, Carlow Town or Kilkenny.”
Alongside those temperatures tomorrow Met Eireann have promised a mostly dry and sunny day.
THUNDERY SHOWERS ALERT
However, there may be some “heavy and thundery” showers in places.
Liz Walshe explained: “A few showers look likely to bubble up in the afternoon and evening and some of those could be heavy and possibly thundery, but they will be hit and miss and many places will stay dry.”
Showers and thunderstorms will ease off early on Wednesday night, but cloud in the northwest will gradually extend southeastwards.
This will bring patchy outbreaks of light rain or drizzle affecting parts of Connacht and Ulster with mist and fog forming too.
‘FEEL MUCH COLDER’
Met Eireann have warned a switch is coming later in the week before the weather returns to sunny and warm conditions for the bank holiday weekend.
The weather bosses explained: “A bit of a contrast in conditions across the country on Thursday with a cold front acting as the dividing line between cooler conditions to the north and warmer conditions to the south.
“In Connacht and Ulster, Thursday will start out mostly cloudy with patchy rain and drizzle, but clearer, sunnier conditions will spread from the northwest for the afternoon. It’ll feel much cooler with highest temperatures 12C to 16C degrees in light to moderate northerly winds.
“In Leinster and Munster however, Thursday will be mostly sunny to begin. Cloud will build for the afternoon, with a few showers breaking out, some of these possibly heavy and thundery.
Highest temperatures will range 17C to 21C with light variable winds becoming light to moderate northerly later.”
Similar conditions are expected overnight with temperatures down as low as 4C.
Similar again on Friday in a “cooler and cloudier day”with a mix of sunshine and cloud.
Temperatures will sit around 12C to 16C.
BANK HOLIDAY OUTLOOK
And looking to the long weekend Met Eireann’s Liz Walsh said: “Still plenty of dry weather nationwide with just minimal rainfall amounts through Friday and the weekend.
“Daytime highs generally ranging 13C to 17C which is around the average for early May.”
And Met Eireann bosses added: “High pressure will remain the dominant feature bringing generally dry and settled conditions with variable cloud amounts and sunshine.”
The bank holiday forecast is positive too[/caption]