Met Éireann has ruled out a return to the heatwaves of recent weeks in the near future, despite forecasting temperatures of up to 26 degrees in some areas.
Tuesday is forecast to be a generally warm and humid day with highest temperatures of up to 26 degrees in the east and southeast.
The forecast shows a mostly cloudy day, with the best of the sunny spells away from the northwest.
The national forecaster said there would be outbreaks of rain and drizzle, which will be most persistent in the west and northwest.
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Elsewhere, the showers will be more isolated, with many areas remaining dry, and the highest temperatures will range from 17 degrees in the west and northwest to 25 degrees in the east.
Rebecca Cantwell, meteorologist with Met Éireann, said the weather for the rest of the week was forecast to be “mixed and changeable” as an area of low pressure moves up from the south, squeezing in between areas of high pressure to the west of us over the Atlantic and to the east over Europe.
Most of the rainfall during the week will be across the west and north, but drier conditions farther south and east.
The humidity was due to continue through the early part of the week, she said.
Wednesday will start off generally cloudy with outbreaks of rain in the north and west and highest temperatures of 17 to 24 degrees, warmest in the south and east. Thursday will feel “fresher than previous days” with a mix of sunny spells and showers.
Cantwell said current indications suggested Saturday could be mostly dry with temperatures in the late teens or early 20s. But there was a possibility Sunday could see temperatures dip, with a few showers on Sunday and Monday.
The seemingly relentless sunshine of recent weeks has played havoc with gardens and farm crops. Cantwell said moisture levels were “unusually low” and the ground conditions could benefit from some rain.
Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather confirmed there were no more heatwaves in sight. “After today, temperatures will struggle to get above 20 degrees,” he said.
Meanwhile, all households across the State remain subject to a hosepipe ban, which means householders cannot water their gardens or wash their cars with a hosepipe until August 26th, due to a prolonged drought countrywide, parts of which have received no rainfall for nearly six weeks.
Despite improved conditions in recent days, Uisce Éireann said any rain that did fall would not compensate for the long periods of drought or near-drought that have been experienced across the country in recent weeks.
