Northern Ireland Swelters: Heatwave Hits 25C

Northern Ireland has officially declared a heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 25C for three consecutive days in County Tyrone. The Met Office confirmed this threshold was met at the Castlederg weather station, which previously recorded Northern Ireland's highest temperature of 31.3C in July 2021. Hot conditions are expected to continue inland before a slight cooling towards the weekend, though temperatures will remain above average.

In the Republic of Ireland, a heat warning is in effect for most of the country until Friday morning, with a further advisory extending to Saturday. A heatwave has been ongoing since July 9 and is predicted to persist into next week, particularly in the midlands and southern areas. Temperatures have approached 30C, prompting Met Éireann to warn of potential water safety issues and increased risk of drought and forest fires.

A six-week hosepipe ban and water conservation order will commence in six counties across the Republic on Thursday. These current heat conditions align with climate scientists' warnings about human-induced climate change leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves and droughts, with Met Office projections indicating hotter spells becoming more common in the future, especially in the UK's south-east.