A STATUS YELLOW high temperature warning is to come into effect for five counties later this afternoon and remain in effect until Wednesday.

Counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway and Mayo could see temperatures reach in excess of 27C, with overnight minimum temperatures in excess of 15C.

Met Éireann cautioned that as a result of the heat, there are potential water safety issues due to the increased use of lakes and beaches. 

The warning will come into effect at 1pm today and remain in place until 7am on Wednesday. 

A 15-year-old boy died on Saturday evening after getting into difficulty in Lough Ree in Co Westmeath.

The forecaster also warned of heat stress, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, the possibility of forest fires and drought.

Today will be another hot and dry day. Temperatures will reach highs of 24 to 29 degrees in Munster and Connacht and 20 to 24 degrees in Leinster and Ulster, with a light to moderate east to northeast breeze.

It’ll also be a dry night, with temperatures not dropping below 13 degrees.

It’ll still be very warm across the country on Wednesday, but a bit cooler near the east coast.

Some heavy showers or thunderstorms may develop, most likely affecting parts of the south, midlands and west. 

The warm weather will continue into the weekend.