LAST UPDATE | 29 Jun 2018

MET ÉIREANN HAS extended its Status Yellow – High Temperature warning until 10pm tomorrow as Ireland continues to be baked in the current heatwave.

Temperatures in the high 20s have been widely recorded today, with the highest reading coming from Shannon Airport where the mercury reached 28.6 degrees Celsius at 1pm.

Tomorrow is forecast to bring temperatures in excess of 27 degrees Celsius in Connacht, Munster and parts of south Leinster.

A Status Yellow alert urges people to be aware of the dangers of the weather and to allow them to take action to remain safe.

The HSE’s advice is for people to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, as parts of the country will have temperatures over 30 degrees with coastal areas reaching as high as 28 degrees.

The HSE has also advised people to apply sunscreen if you have to go out in the sun, and avoid extreme physical exertion like sport, DIY or gardening when the sun is at its hottest.

Earlier this week, consultant dermatologist at St James’s Hospital Dr Patrick Ormond highlighted how “over 75% of the population in Ireland have ‘Celtic skin type’ where we freckle and burn easily”.

“People with a fair complexion need to be extra careful in the sun,” he said with sun exposure increasing the risk of skin cancer. “Protect yourself from unnecessary sun exposure today, and your skin will thank you for the rest of your life.”

This morning in Wicklow, raging gorse fires have caused the Military Road to be closed between Sally Gap and Glencree. Emergency services are at the scene and continue to fight the blazes.

Water restrictions remain in place today with the hot weather set to continue into next week.

Yesterday, Irish Water had identified 100 water supply schemes around the country that are now at risk as it urges people to conserve water as drought risk looms.

The company remains very concerned about the possibility of having to impose long-term restrictions on water, and said it will become “unavoidable” if the dry conditions persist, as they are forecast to.

However, some relief may be on the way as showers could return in parts of the country on Sunday.

“It will be mostly dry with sunny spells or hazy sunshine on Sunday but showers are likely to affect western and southern areas, and later there’s a signal for heavy showers to come up from the south to affect Munster,” Met Éireann said.

Looking ahead to next week, warm weather will continue with hazy sunshine, but not as hot as this week.

With reporting by Céimin Burke