IRELAND COULD REACH its highest-ever temperature ever today as a spell of hot and humid weather peaks across the country.
Met Éireann has forecast highs of between 25 and 31 degrees, with temperatures possibly climbing higher in parts of the midlands and west.
The current Irish record stands at 33.3 degrees, recorded at Kilkenny Castle on 26 June 1887. Forecasters said on Wednesday that temperatures could reach 33 degrees in Connacht, putting that long-standing figure within reach.
Met Éireann forecaster Ailís Hankinson said on Wednesday that there was “the potential for records to be broken on Thursday”, with highs of 31 or 32 degrees expected more widely across the west and midlands.
“Usually in June, we’ll see the average temperatures are between 16 and 19 degrees, so these temperatures are quite warm,” she said.
Forecaster Gerry Murphy told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today that “it’s not in any way certain that it’s going to be broken”, however.
“The temperatures yesterday in the west didn’t get up as high because it was a fair amount of clouds, so that means today is start not starting from quite as high a base as it might be,” Murphy said.
“It will be challenged, but not certain.”
Today is expected to be dry with good sunshine for most of the country, although thunderstorms may develop at times in the west and northwest.
Met Éireann warned that any thunderstorms could bring torrential downpours, hail, frequent lightning and gusty winds.
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) June 25, 2026Dry today with good sunshine mostly apart from patches of rain & drizzle near W & NW coasts early on
Potential for thunderstorms⛈️ to develop later likely in the W & NW. Torrential downpours with hail🌧️, frequent lightning & gusty winds are all possible🍃
Highs of 25 to 31 C🌡️ pic.twitter.com/d6pUlWDYPq
The heat will continue overnight, with temperatures staying as high as 17 to 20 degrees for many areas. Heavy and possibly thundery showers are expected to spread more widely overnight, with a risk of spot flooding.
A nationwide Status Yellow high temperature warning remains in place until Friday.
Tomorrow will remain warm and humid, with temperatures of between 23 and 29 degrees. However, showers are expected to become more widespread, with some heavy and thundery bursts likely across the midlands, west and north.
The spell is being driven by a plume of very warm air moving north from Europe, where several countries have experienced extreme heat in recent days.
The hot conditions are expected to ease over the weekend as Atlantic weather begins to move in.
Saturday is forecast to bring cloud and outbreaks of rain, with temperatures falling to between 17 and 23 degrees. By Sunday, highs are expected to range from 15 degrees in the west to around 20 degrees in the east.
People are being urged to take care in the heat, particularly older people, young children and those with underlying health conditions.
Advice includes drinking water regularly, staying in the shade during the hottest part of the day and using sunscreen when outdoors.
Unsure of what exactly is happening with the earth’s climate? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online.