Hottest day of year set to be topped today

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year to date and today is due to be even better, according to weather forecasters.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year to date and today is due to be even better, according to weather forecasters.

Met Éireann recorded temperatures of 21 degrees at Casement Aerodrome in west Dublin, and almost 20 degrees at Malin Head, yesterday afternoon.

Forecaster Mr Jim O'Brien said similar temperatures were expected today over a wider area. "A lot of places should see temperatures in the high teens and some places should see low 20s. Those cloudy places have a much better chance of sunshine. It should be a really, really nice day," he said.

The sunny spell is due to continue tomorrow and Friday. Temperatures are expected to drop over the weekend, however, to what are considered normal levels for April - about 11-12 degrees.

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Despite the drop in temperatures, the Easter weekend is expected to be pleasant, remaining mainly dry and calm.

Mr O'Brien said it was difficult to look so far ahead with a great deal of accuracy but "Monday might be largely dry with just a few showers."

He noted not all places experienced high temperatures yesterday with some areas, particularly the south and south-west, remaining under cloud for much of the day. The temperature at Cork Airport at 3 p.m. yesterday was just 12 degrees, and at Rosslare it was 13 degrees.

Last Month saw temperatures tipping 20 degrees at Shannon Airport. However, Mr O'Brien said yesterday was the hottest of the year to date in that "far more areas experienced higher temperatures".

In its official forecast, Met Éireann says tomorrow and Friday will remain dry, with some hazy sunshine in most areas. It will turn cooler over the weekend, as winds freshen from a northeasterly direction, but it should stay dry through Saturday and Sunday, with sunny intervals.

Joe Humphreys

Joe Humphreys

Joe Humphreys is an Assistant News Editor at The Irish Times and writer of the Unthinkable philosophy column