Keep the parasols open and the sun factor close at hand, because the good weather is set to last through the first half of the week and possibly longer, according to Met Éireann.
Most areas will remain dry, bright and sunny over the coming days, although temperatures will drop slightly from the high values recorded on Friday and Saturday.
No major changes are forecast for the second half of the week with the settled spell expected to continue. Night time temperatures will be lower than before, however, and there may be a risk of frost in some areas. Some drizzle is forecast in the north and northwest.
Saturday was the warmest day of the year so far, with many inland weather stations recording temperatures of 21 degrees. While this is well above average for April, it is not a record, according to Michael McAuliffe of Met Éireann.
In many parts of the country, there have been no appreciable amounts of rainfall since the beginning of the month, Mr McAuliffe said. In general, temperatures have been above average and last week they were 2-3 degrees above average for this time of the year.
Meanwhile, Britain yesterday registered the hottest day of the year for the third day in a row. Temperatures reached 23 degrees in parts of southern England and up to 27 degrees in Manchester, making it warmer than parts of southern Spain and the Middle East. It was just 19 degrees in Gibraltar and 18 degrees in Majorca yesterday.
In the US, by contrast, a major storm in the northwest has brought strong winds, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding. Near-freezing temperatures and gale-force winds are forecast for today's Boston Marathon.
