Ireland enjoys hottest day of the year for second time this week

A high of 26.8 degrees was recorded in Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon on Saturday, equalling the highest temperature for the year.

The same temperature was recorded at the same weather station on Thursday. Almost everywhere on Saturday had temperatures well into the 20s as a ridge of high pressure remained over Ireland.

Mullingar recorded 25 degrees, Markree Castle in Co Sligo 24.7 degrees and the Phoenix Park in Dublin had a high of 22 degrees – a slight easterly breeze kept temperatures down along the east coast.

The weather is expected to remain fine and dry until Wednesday. There is a possibility that bank holiday Monday, the first day of June and the start of the meteorological summer, will be the hottest of the year so far with highs of 27 degrees expected in the mid-west and midlands.

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There will be a notable cooling off after that. The temperatures could have dropped 10 degrees by next weekend. The long term forecast indicates some cool and showery rain next weekend but it will be "patchy" and just a few millimetres, says Met Éireann forecaster Gavin Gallagher.

Rain is badly needed in many parts after what is likely to be the driest spring on record in the east of the country.

The drought is most pronounced in the greater Dublin area. At the Phoenix Park weather station, just 54.1mm of rain fell during the months of March, April and May, less than a third of the seasonal average for Dublin (166.2mm).

At Oak Park in Co Kilkenny rainfall was just 52 per cent of normal and at Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford 53 per cent of normal for the season.

Drought conditions on the Aran Islands has prompted Irish Water to put in night-time restrictions to limit usage. The three main islands get all their water supply from rain and there has been very little there for the last six weeks.