Cooler on coasts despite inland heat
Shannon in County Clare recorded a top temperature of 24.7°C on Saturday, making the west of Ireland one of the hottest places in Europe outside of Spain, southern Greece, and Turkey.
Earlier in the week, Newport in County Mayo was Ireland’s warmest location, reaching 24.8°C on Tuesday—just shy of this year’s highest temperature so far, 25.9°C, recorded in Athenry, County Galway, on April 30th.
Similar weather is expected on Sunday, with temperatures in the west and northwest climbing into the low to mid-20s. Coastal areas along the north, east, and south will be noticeably cooler.
The dry spell is forecast to continue until Friday, when more typical seasonal weather will return, bringing occasional rain interspersed with dry periods. On Tuesday, isolated showers—some potentially thundery—are expected in southern and eastern counties. However, widespread sunshine is likely over the next six days.
The transition to more unsettled conditions will be gradual, and rainfall amounts toward the end of May are not expected to significantly improve low reservoir levels or soil moisture deficits, which are currently limiting plant growth.
