Mercury soars as summer arrives

It’s official - summer’s here. Blue skies and soaring temperatures can be expected across most of the country today, and for the rest of the week.

Met Éireann said it would dry, warm and sunny today with highest temperatures of 18 to 22 degrees.

The unseasonably cold start to the month is set to give way to something of a heatwave, in Irish terms at least, according to the national forecaster.

Forecaster Evelyn Cusack said while temperatures at the beginning of the month were below average they will increase rapidly over the next few days, with daytime temperatures expected to be well into the 20s.

“We have well and truly lost that cold polar air,” she said, referring to the unseasonably cooler weather experienced last month.

However, she warned it may remain slightly cooler along east coast and in the south due to onshore breezes, and there may be some patches of drizzle and sea fog.

While Thursday will be much the same as today, Friday is set to be the hottest day of the current warm spell with temperatures expected to climb as high as 25 or 26 degrees.

The generally dry, sunny weather will continue over the weekend, but there is still the risk of a few thundery showers breaking out, especially in southern parts.

The beginning of next week will also be generally dry, warm and sunny, the forecaster said.

While March was unseasonably warm, April temperatures were colder than they had been for at least a decade.