The provisional May temperature record has been broken again, with Oak Park in Co Carlow recording 29.2C on Tuesday.
It comes as a status yellow high-temperature warning remains in place for eight counties, with temperatures expected to reach 30C.
The warning for Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, and Offaly came into effect at 12pm on Tuesday and will remain in place until 6pm on Wednesday.
A Met Éireann spokesperson said the provisional May maximum temperature record had been broken again with the forecaster’s website showing Oak Park in Co Carlow recorded 29.2C, while Shannon Airport reached 28C.
The new record surpasses Monday’s high of 28.6C, recorded at Shannon Airport.
The spokesperson said the temperature record “could potentially rise further in the next few hours as our observations come in”.
The previous May record stood at 28.4C and was set in 1997. The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3C at Kilkenny Castle in 1887.
Met Éireann warned that high temperatures could lead to water safety issues because of increased use of lakes and beaches, as well as an increased risk of forest fires and uncomfortable sleeping conditions.
⚠️Status Yellow High Temperature Warning Issued for:
📍Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois & Offaly
⏲️Valid: 12:00 today 26/05 to 18:00 tomorrow, Wed 27/05
➡️Max temps >27°C combined with night-time minima >15°C expected.
🔗https://t.co/w5QtJ1UyEP pic.twitter.com/jOrVRCyHpm
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 26, 2026
The national forecaster said Tuesday will be another “warm or hot day” with dry weather and sunshine. The north and northwest will see cloudier conditions during the afternoon, with a chance of isolated showers.
However, highs of between 23C and 29C or 30C are expected, with the hottest weather in Munster and south Leinster.
Mild but cooler weather will follow on Tuesday night, with temperatures dropping to the low teens and ranging between 11C and 17C.
Wednesday will continue the “warm or hot spell” of weather and will be mainly dry and sunny. There is a chance of a few scattered showers, but highs of between 22C and 29C or 30C are expected, with the warmest conditions in the midwest and west.
Cloud will increase in the south on Wednesday night, bringing drizzle, mist, and fog, especially in southern counties. Met Éireann said there is also a likelihood of scattered thundery showers for a time, with temperatures ranging between 11C and 16C.
Thursday will bring some sunny spells for a time in parts of the east and north before conditions turn cloudy with light rain, drizzle, and mist. However, it will stay mainly dry in the east before brighter conditions develop from the west. Temperatures will range between 17C and 24C, with the warmest weather in the east.
Friday is expected to be relatively dry, with some sunny spells and highs of 17C to 22C, warmest in the east. Coastal parts of the west and northwest will be slightly cooler.
Saturday will start mainly dry with some sunny spells in the east. However, rain will move into the west early in the day before spreading eastwards through the morning and afternoon, with some heavy falls developing later. Sunny spells and showers will follow from the west later, some of them heavy, with a chance of thundery downpours in the north. Highs of 16C to 21C are expected.
Looking ahead to Sunday, lingering scattered showers will gradually become isolated before dry weather and sunny spells develop more widely. Highs of 15C to 19C are forecast.
Bank Holiday Monday, which also marks the first day of meteorological summer, will be cloudy at times with outbreaks of rain, turning heavy in places. The rain will clear eastwards later, followed by sunshine and highs of 15C to 20C.
Meanwhile, more than 350 French towns have recorded their highest-ever May temperatures as France and the UK set national heat records amid an extreme early-summer heat event. Temperatures in parts of Spain could rise to 40C by the end of the week.
The UK’s Met Office said the country’s May temperature record was broken when 34.8C was recorded at London’s Kew Gardens.
Météo France said late on Monday that new May temperature records had been set at 352 weather stations, mainly in western France. The highest reading, 37.1C, was recorded near Hossegor in the south-western department of Landes.
“This is an unprecedented event with a one in 1,000 chance of happening at this time of year based on the climate from 1979 to 2025 and virtually impossible in the preindustrial era,” Christophe Cassou, a climate scientist, told Le Monde.
The hot spell in Spain — where temperatures in some southern areas hit 38C over the weekend, between 5C and 10C above normal — is also expected to continue through the week, according to Rubén del Campo of the state meteorological office Aemet.
-Additional reporting from the Guardian