Temperatures to hit 28C in Ireland this week as Western Europe braces for 'heatwave from hell'

WITH Continental Europe sizzling in an "exceptional heatwave" this week, temperatures in Ireland will be considerably cooler – meaning positively roasting by our standards.

European forecasters warned that "hell is coming" yesterday, with a 2,000-mile-wide plume of hot air dubbed the 'Saharan Bubble' expected to bring record-breaking temperatures to countries including France, Spain and Germany.

While temperatures in Britain aren't expected to exceed the June record of 35.5C, the UK Met Office has issued a Level 2 heat-health alert from 6am on Thursday to 6pm on Saturday – with highs of up to 33C predicted in parts of England on Saturday.

Thankfully, there is little sign that Ireland will experience the sort of extreme conditions currently baking our neighbours over in mainland Europe.

That said, temperatures today will reach 25C in parts of the country – while highs of up to 28C are expected on Thursday, according to Met Éireann.

Today

Met Éireann says today will be "warm and bright with a mix of sunny spells and some cloudy periods", adding: "Humid, with top temperatures reaching 21 to 25 C, best in western areas, but a few degrees cooler along northern and eastern coasts in an onshore northeasterly breeze, which will freshen along south and west coasts later.

"Tonight will be dry with good clear spells and perhaps just the odd shower in the southwest towards. Lowest temperatures will be 11 to 15 C, but values over Ulster will dip to 8 or 9 C, with some mist patches there. Northeasterly winds will be moderate to fresh".

Thursday

As for tomorrow, the forecaster says: "Thursday will be a dry, fairly sunny, but rather breezy day, with the risk of isolated heavy or possibly thundery showers in the southwest.

"Warm and close for most, with top temperatures reaching of 24 to 28 C, peaking over the southwest, mid-west and west of the country, but a few degrees lower along eastern coastal fringes in moderate to fresh east to northeasterly breezes."

Friday

Friday, Met Éireann predicts, will "continue warm and mostly dry in the east, but cloud will increase from the west with patchy rain at first there but later there is the risk of heavy thundery showers breaking out. Top temperatures reaching 20 to 27 degrees in moderate southeasterly breezes.

"Friday night will be another mild and humid night with cloud and scattered showers gradually spreading further eastwards. Lowest temperatures staying again around 13 to 16 degrees and southeast to southerly winds fall light."

Weekend

"Saturday will see scattered showers and some sunny spells, some of the showers could turn heavy or even thundery. Winds will become light to moderate southwesterly bringing some fresher conditions over the country but still rather warm with top temperatures of 19 to 25 degrees, warmest in the east and north.

"Sunday will not be as warm as the previous days as southwest to westerly breezes increasing moderate to fresh. Top temperature dropping to around 17 to 20 degrees. There will be scattered showers with good sunny spells."