LAST UPDATE | 17 Jul

A STATUS YELLOW high temperature warning is in effect for nine counties, with highs of up to 29C forecast for some parts of the country.

The warning for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford will expire at 8pm. 

A warm weather advisory, which has been in place since midnight, has been extended until Monday. 

“While temperatures will fall back somewhat from recent high levels, impacts will still be felt from the prolonged spell of very warm or hot and dry weather,” Met Éireann said.

It has warned that the potential impacts include water safety issues due to increased use of lakes, beaches and waterways, heat stress and dehydration, potential disruption to public transport, animal welfare issues, forest fires and drought. 

Successive warnings by the national forecaster over the last two weeks have advised people to keep cool to avoid heatstroke, as temperatures surpassed 30C in some areas.

The National Severe Weather and Flood Coordination Group also met today to discuss the impacts of the ongoing hot weather. 

A fire, which has been burning for in Killarney National Park four days, is still smouldering in Kerry.

The fire is suspected to have been ignited by a disposable barbecue, which was used on a ledge overlooking the Long Range area of the park.

Minister James Browne called the fire “outrageous”, “frustrating” and “entirely avoidable”.

Browne said there is “no excuse” for fires to be started as a result of disposable barbecues and called on people to not put themselves or the environment “in harm’s way”.

On Friday afternoon, Tesco confirmed to The Journal that it has removed all disposable barbecues from sale across its stores.

Water use

Meanwhile, Uisce Éireann has said it continues to ask customers to be “mindful” of their water use ahead of another warm and dry weekend.

It said that periods of prolonged warm weather can place significant pressure on local water supplies, treatment plants and networks and that “small changes in how we use water at home and in the garden can make a real difference”.

It called for the public to avoid unnecessary use of hosepipes, power washers and paddling pools.

Uisce Éireann said it is also engaging with large water users to encourage conservation measures, improve efficiency and ensure responsible use of water resources.

It added that there is a “common perception that all data centres are major users of drinking water” but that its data “shows this is not the case”.

Politicians and members of the public had voiced upset that the data centre industry has not been put under any restrictions while households and other businesses are.

Uisce Éireann said data centres are “not a major driver of demand on the public water supply network” and accounts for “less than 0.3% of the water supplied by Uisce Éireann”.

It said that “due to advances in cooling technology, modern data centres use relatively small volumes of water”.

However, Uisce Éireann said it “closely monitors water use across all large customers and works with businesses, including data centre operators, to promote efficient and sustainable water use”.

Forecast ahead

Met Éireann said the unusually long warm, dry spell this week was caused by an area of high pressure near the Faroe Islands.

“The easterly airflow generated by this anticyclone is bringing a very warm, humid air mass to Ireland from continental Europe,” it said on Monday.

Tonight will be dry and mostly clear, with just light to moderate northerly breezes. It’s expected to be a little fresher than recent nights, with lowest temperatures of 9 to 14 degrees.

Saturday is staying dry and warm, with temperatures reaching 23 to 27 degrees across the Midlands, south and east. There’ll be long spells of sunshine.

The north and northwest will be a bit cooler, reaching only 22 degrees at most.

Sunday will be another dry day with hazy sunshine and light northerly breezes, says Met Éireann.

It will be warmest over Leinster and Munster, where top temperatures are expected to be 21 to 25 degrees.

Ulster and Connacht will be cloudier and cooler, especially near the coast.

Monday to Wednesday are to be dry with moderate northwest breezes.

Connacht and Ulster will be damp at times, with highs of 16 to 22 degrees, again warmest away from the coast.

Munster and Leinster will be warmer, with temperatures of up to 25 degrees forecast amid a mix of sunshine and cloud.