LAST UPDATE | 18 Jul 2022
IRELAND HAS RECORDED its hottest temperature in 135 years, with the Met Éireann measuring site at Phoenix Park topping out at 33°C at 3pm.
This temperature is second only to the record of 33.3°C measured in Kilkenny Castle in June 1887. Met Éireann has said this remains Ireland’s record temperature but doubt has been cast on it in recent years.
Today’s high of 33°C is therefore the highest ever recorded temperature nationally for July and the highest ever recorded in Dublin.
The nationwide record for July was previously 32.3°C, which was set in Elphin in July 2006.
Met Éireann had forecast that temperatures would rise throughout the day and that today would likely to be the hottest day of the summer.
Outside of Dublin, temperatures above 30°C were recorded in several counties including Cavan, Roscommon and Carlow.
Here are the latest air temperatures 🥵 📈 Highest air temperature recorded today was 33.0C at the Phoenix Park, Co. Dublin.
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) July 18, 2022
This is a new all time national record for the month of July, and the highest air temperature recorded in Ireland the 20th and 21st centuries🗓️ pic.twitter.com/kVR40KU6lS
A Status Yellow warning remains in place due to what forecasters have described as “exceptionally warm weather”.
Met Éireann’s Head of Forecasting Evelyn Cusack said Ireland is today seeing temperatures around 5 to 10 degrees above average.
“This is a very, very hot day. It’s going to be probably the hottest day of the summer,” Cusack said, speaking to RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland.
It’s set to remain as high as 20 degrees overnight also.
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with a temperature of 29.3 degrees recorded in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
Asked today if this type of weather is “extreme”, Cusack said: “For Ireland, it is. Our average maximum temperature if you look around the country is around 21 degrees Celsius for the summer months, so we’re way ahead of that.”
The public have been warned that there is a significant risk of heat stress and heat exhaustion as a result of the weather.
Tomorrow will continue very warm with highest temperatures of 24 to 26 degrees. While there will be hazy sunny spells in the morning, isolated heavy showers or thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon, while winds will veer northwesterly and increase moderate, Met Éireann said.
Temperatures are expected to cool from Wednesday onwards.
“Some people will be glad to hear it isn’t going to last,” Cusack said.
“During tomorrow it’s going to be really warm and humid now across Leinster, a little bit fresher weather will be coming in from the Atlantic and there’s the risk of thunderstorms breaking out, especially across Leinster tomorrow, really hot and humid in the east, slightly fresher in the west. And then for Wednesday right through to next weekend it does look fresher.
“That will be a welcome relief. Not everybody likes the warm weather, especially if you’re sick or have any needs, it’s really very unpleasant. There’s fresher weather on the way.”
Here’s how to stay cool in the hot temperatures:
The UN’s IPCC has said that global warming has caused an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.
The world has already warmed by about 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times due to human activity, and the IPCC has warned that global heating is virtually certain to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, probably within a decade.
“Unfortunately, climate change is here,” Cusack said.
“Ireland is saved somewhat because we are a small island nation and surrounded by water but when we get the air masses coming up from Europe, which is what we’re getting now, we too will experience some very extreme weather,” she said.
“I doubt because of our position in the west of Europe and surrounded by heat that we will see ever 40 degree heat [as England is expecting] – I certainly hope not – but they’re just numbers, we can expect really extreme weather and extreme weather events.”
ESB has asked the public not to swim in any of its reservoirs during the hot weather, issuing a reminder that it is unsafe.
“These areas are not appropriate for swimming because of the risk of deep and fast-flowing waters, changing water levels and uneven ground,” ESB said.
RNLI rescues
Alongside warnings from the ESB, Howth RNLI said that they launched lifeboats to three separate incidents this afternoon.
The first incident involved a missing child on Portmarnock beach, with an inshore lifeboat being launched at 2.20pm. The Irish Coast Guard’s Rescue 116 and the Howth Coast Guard were also deployed.
Shortly after, an urgent message was issued from a yacht five miles northeast of Howth and the Howth all-weather lifeboat was rerouted from the missing child to this incident.
Shortly after, the RNLI said that the missing child was located and placed into the care of the Howth Coast Guard Team, with the inshore lifeboat then following to the yacht incident.
The RNLI found the yacht and maneuvered to transfer a crew member onto the vessel before escorting it to Howth harbour.
In the middle of the yacht incident, the inshore lifeboat was requested by Dublin Coast Guard to an incident off the coast of Portrane, where a powerboat with a family of four had suffered engine failure.
This had left them being blown ashore off Portrane, before the lifeboat arrived and secured a tow back to Malahide marina.
Howth RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager, Colm Newport said: ‘Thankfully the outcome of all of these incidents was positive with the missing child located safe and well and the crews of both the yacht and powerboat returned safely ashore.
“Our volunteer crew train regularly to deal with all types of incidents on the water. As the sun shines and more people spend time on the water it’s the charity’s busiest time for its lifeboat crews.
“Our volunteer lifeboat crew are on call 24/7 and if you do get into difficulty or you see someone in trouble call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.”
Additional reporting by Lauren Boland, Rónán Duffy and Tadgh McNally
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