Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Paul Moore

Met Eireann forecaster shares European heatwave latest as hot weather system hits continent

Met Eireann has said that the current heatwave that mainland Europe is experiencing will not have a direct impact on Ireland, it has contributed to the recent unsettled conditions the country has experienced.

In recent days, a heatwave that was comprised of hot air from North Africa has engulfed large parts of the Mediterranean region.

This in turn has led to devastating wildfires and dozens of people dying in Italy, Turkey and Algeria.

In Greece, wildfires destroyed forests for a week, burning homes and forcing evacuations.

Sicily may also have recorded a new European temperature record, although weather experts have said that the measurement still must be confirmed.

The heatwave in Spain is expected to increase today and over the weekend with temperatures possibly hitting 47c or even 48c.

Despite these conditions, Met Eireann has said that it's very unlikely that Ireland will see temperatures of that magnitude.

In a statement to the Irish Mirror, a Met Eireann spokesperson said: "Although the heatwave in Europe will not have a direct impact on the weather in Ireland, the high pressure across Europe has resulted in a stronger jet stream in NW Europe (this is due to thermal gradients between the warm airmass across continental Europe and cooler airmass across NW Europe) and this is what is driving low pressure across Ireland and the reason why we’ve got this unsettled weather."

While this week saw weather warnings, strong winds and rainy conditions in Ireland, Met Eireann are confident that next week will be better.

"Looking into next week, there are signals for high-pressure building from the Atlantic and this would allow more settled weather and drier conditions to establish across Ireland.

"This doesn’t necessarily mean sunshine or warm weather either – high pressure can still bring cloud and patchy drizzle so best to keep a close eye on the forecast for next week," added the spokesperson.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.