It was another scorcher today with temperatures hitting the high 20s across the country and wall-to-wall sunshine.
Temperatures around the country passed 27 degrees today, with the highest recorded in Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon at 29.5 degrees, according to Met Éireann.
The next highest temperatures recorded were 29.4 degrees in Shannon Airport, 29.2 degrees in Athenry, Co Galway, 28.5 degrees in Oak Park in Co Carlow and 28.3 degrees in Mullingar, Co Westmeath.
Irish College of General Practitioners spokesman John Ball warned that people need to take great caution to protect themselves from the sun.
“I’ve come across two very bad burnings over the past few weeks” Mr Ball said, who is also a GP. “The severity has definitely increased.”
However, he said people may be going to pharmacies first before making an appointment with their GP and therefore the number of officially reported cases of sunburn may be lower than the actual figure.
Mr Ball says that part of the problem is people don’t notice that they are getting burned, which can take several hours to set in. “If there’s a cool breeze you just don’t feel it,” he said.
The Irish Skin Cancer Society’s (ISCS) UV Index, a measure of how much risk the sun poses to people’s skin, will be at high between 12pm -3pm from now until Friday.
According to the society, high means that there is a very real risk of skin and eye damage from UV rays and people are advised to seek shade during this time.
Health Promotion Officer Rosemary Scott said many people believe UV damage from the Irish sun is not harmful and, as a result of this, they don’t take care of their skin when outside.
“All UV exposure increases your risk of skin cancer,” she said. “Our message is to get out and enjoy the sun but, from April to September, whether you are on the beach, playing sports, gardening or working outdoors never let your skin redden or burn.”
The Irish Cancer Society also added that UV damage which causes the skin to tan and burn builds up and can lead to skin cancer later in life.
The most recent data from the National Cancer Registry shows that 33,741 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2010. Of these, 8,554 were cases of non-melanoma skin cancer and 896 were melanoma.
Cork City Water Warning
Cork County Council have issued an appeal for people to restrict their use of water to essential purposes in order to ensure a continuous minimum supply for the duration of the current dry spell. The council have advised that watering gardens and washing cars in particular should be avoided.
Dublin City Council said that they have no plans as of yet to restrict water access or reduce pressure, however, they advise people to only use water when necessary.