IRELAND has been in the grip of a heatwave this week, however the weather is expected to take a turn for the worse today.
A new record temperature for August in Ireland was set on Friday after Met Éireann recorded a high of 31.7°C at Oak Park in Carlow.
That's 0.2°C higher than the previous August high, with 31.5°C recorded on two previous occasions, most recently at Oak Park in 1995.
However, the sunshine could soon be replaced by heavy rain, according to the meteorological service.
A Status Orange thunderstorm warning was issued for the whole country on Saturday and came into effect at 3pm today.
Met Éireann has warned of sporadic thunderstorm activity, with heavy downpours of rain and hail in places.
It has also warned of flooding in areas of heavy rain.
Status Orange - Thunderstorm warning for Ireland⛈️
Warnings here ➡️https://t.co/Xg3aMJlyuS pic.twitter.com/FavsRYJsEy
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) August 14, 2022
The warning is in place for the whole country until 9am on Monday.
Meanwhile, the UK Met Office has issued a Yellow Thunderstorm warning for Northern Ireland, which came into effect this morning and is in place until midnight.
Similarly, it has warned that while some places will stay dry, 'hit-and-miss thunderstorms will develop on Sunday, potentially bringing disruption in places'.
Despite the incoming adverse weather, Met Éireann also issued a high temperature warning today.
A Status Yellow warning was issued for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Munster, Galway and Roscommon at 5am and is in place until 6am on Monday.
It has stated that high temperatures are set to continue in those areas up to a maximum of 27-30°C.
It adds that temperatures will be a minimum of around 15°C overnight.
