Met Éireann has forecast temperatures reaching up to 26°C in County Wexford next week, with a period of warm weather expected.
The forecast comes after a particularly cold spring. A build-up of high pressure is bringing warmer, drier weather to Ireland, with Met Éireann’s extended range outlook indicating that high pressure will dominate from the week of 25 May onwards.
Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather said the warm conditions could last until the June bank holiday weekend. He posted on X: “Latest weather models show very warm air reaching Ireland Monday with over 26C possible.”
Met Éireann defines a heatwave as five consecutive days of temperatures above 25°C. The national forecaster’s outlook for the week of 25 to 31 May predicts warmer-than-average temperatures and below-average rainfall nationwide. Week two, from 1 to 7 June, is expected to see continued settled conditions, while weeks three and four also indicate high pressure staying nearby with above-normal temperatures.
The seasonal outlook for June, July, and August signals above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall for Ireland.
According to Met Éireann, counties in the west may see more unsettled conditions, while the east, midlands, and north are expected to be warmest. For Wexford Town, the forecast differs depending on the source. Met Éireann is predicting temperatures between 14°C and 18°C from 25 to 28 May, with sunny and clear conditions developing through the week. Google Weather’s forecasting data sources suggest temperatures could range between 19°C and 21°C over the same period.
According to the Irish Mirror, some weather models have hinted at the possibility of 29°C, which would break Ireland’s current May temperature record. O’Reilly noted that the current benchmark stands at 28.4°C, set in Kerry on 31 May 1997.