![\"Construction](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/47U4TUIDDECRHAPDQMVZRV5KRM.jpg\")
Construction work at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria on June 24th. Photo: Erwin Scheriau\/APA\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\nMain PointsKey Reads<\/p>\n
\u00d3rla Ryan – 1 minute ago<\/p>\n
Event about impacts of extreme heat cancelled … due to extreme heat<\/p>\n
An event dedicated to discussing the impacts of extreme heat was cancelled at the London School of Economics on Wednesday because the \u200bvenue was too hot. <\/p>\n
The meeting was oraganised as part of London Climate Action Week.<\/p>\n
The event was due to have been held in a near-100-year-old building that, like many in Britain, relies on natural ventilation and fans to cool visitors rather than air conditioning. The organisers said they called it off due to a risk to public health. <\/p>\n
Chris Anderson, a climate \u200bexpert at non-profit Practical Action, said the cancellation was a stark reminder that the dangers of a warming planet \u2060would impact everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real irony that an event designed to help vulnerable people adapt to extreme heat \u200cin \u200ca \u200btemperate, wealthy country had to be cancelled,\u201d Anderson said. – Reuters<\/p>\n
\u00d3rla Ryan – 6 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Heat hazard declared for Austrian Grand Prix weekendConstruction work at the Red Bull Ring race track in Spielberg, Austria on June 24th. Photo: Erwin Scheriau\/APA\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n
Formula One\u2019s governing body \u200cdeclared a heat hazard for the Austrian Grand \u200cPrix at Spielberg\u2019s Red Bull Ring this weekend, \u200bthe first time this season that the designation has been used.<\/p>\n
Race Director Rui Marques said \u200bthe official weather service forecast temperatures in excess \u2060of 31 degrees.<\/p>\n
Declaring \u200ca \u200cheat \u200bhazard requires teams to fit a driver cooling system, such \u2060as a \u200bliquid-cooled vest, though drivers \u200bare not obliged to use them \u200cand can take a \u200bballast penalty instead.<\/p>\n
The car\u2019s minimum weight \u2060is increased to \u2060accommodate \u200bthe hardware.<\/p>\n
Last October\u2019s Singapore Grand Prix was the first time the heat hazard designation was applied after it was added to the rules in 2025, followed by the \u200cUS Grand \u2060Prix in Austin, Texas the same month.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s race will be the \u200ceighth round of the championship, with 19-year-old Mercedes \u200bdriver Kimi Antonelli at the \u200btop of the standings. – Reuters<\/p>\n
\u00d3rla Ryan – 12 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Heatwave linked to 212 deaths in Spain<\/p>\n
The heatwave is linked to 212 deaths in Spain between Sunday and Wednesday, according to estimates from a public institute, AFP is reporting.<\/p>\n
The MoMo monitoring system compiles daily death statistics in Spain and calculates the difference in mortality by comparing them with the levels foreseeable based on historical records.<\/p>\n
\u00d3rla Ryan – 30 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Air conditioner sales spike in Europe![\"Women](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CCFP4GJRWENGFQI3LNQBTC2ERA.jpg\")
Women cool off in a pool in Madrid, Spain on Wednesday. Photo: Oscar Del Pozo\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n
As Europe sweats through record-breaking \u200ctemperatures, Asian makers of air conditioners, like South Korea\u2019s Samsung Electronics, China\u2019s Midea and Japan\u2019s Mitsubishi Electric, are enjoying a boom in sales. <\/p>\n
Air conditioning is common throughout buildings, \u200btransport and homes in major cities across Asia, but it is rare in Europe and people are struggling to stay cool as searing heat claims lives, disrupts power supplies and shuts schools.<\/p>\n
Seeking respite from the sizzling weather, people and companies across Europe are snapping up portable and fixed air conditioners as some countries warn \u200bthe heatwave could intensify.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith temperatures expected to rise further from June onward, we expect sustained demand through the peak cooling season,\u201d Samsung Electronics said in a statement. \u2060Key markets, including Italy, Spain and France, generated double-digit sales growth in the first half of this year, it added. – Reuters<\/p>\n
\u00d3rla Ryan – 34 minutes ago<\/p>\n
Public warned of dangers of swimming in reservoirs<\/p>\n
As high temperatures continue, ESB has issued a warning about the dangers of swimming in reservoirs and watercourses. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Henry Bouchier, ESB\u2019s manager of hydro operations, said:\u202f\u201cIt is important that people take note of the safety warnings which are visible on signs posted around ESB reservoirs. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese areas are unsafe for swimming due to deep, fast-flowing waters, fluctuating water levels, and uneven terrain, which present significant hazards to the public.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
These waters include ESB reservoirs at the following locations: \u00a0<\/p>\n
Poulaphouca in county WicklowGolden Falls and Leixlip in county KildareInniscarra and Carrigadrohid in county CorkThe Ardnacrusha headrace and tailrace canal in county ClareAssaroe, Lough Nacung and Lough Dunlewey in county Donegal<\/p>\n
\u00d3rla Ryan – 55 minutes ago<\/p>\n
High temperature warning extended into Saturday<\/p>\n
A nationwide high temperature warning for the Republic has been extended into Saturday.<\/p>\n
The status yellow warning came into effect at noon on Tuesday and was originally due to expire at 9am on Friday. <\/p>\n
Met \u00c9ireann has now extended the warning until 9am on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u26a0\ufe0fYellow High Temperature Warning for Ireland \ud83c\udf21\ufe0f<\/p>\n
Maximum temperatures in excess of 27\u00b0C in many counties, combined with night-time minima in excess of 15\u00b0C expected.<\/p>\n
\u23f31200 Tue 23\/06 to 0900 Sat 27\/06<\/p>\n
\u2139\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/3041XHiRrK<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/1r8COiujxv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Met \u00c9ireann (@MetEireann) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n 72 departments in France are under red heat alerts The intense heat wave is hitting Europe earlier than usual, underscoring how climate change is reshaping summers.<\/p>\n France has been the epicenter of the heat wave for more than a week, with daytime highs reaching 43.8C in Palluau in the west on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gr\u00e9goire said hundreds of air conditioners are being delivered to schools in the French capital. The heat is also becoming a critical issue for nursing homes, as not all rooms have air conditioning, Zaynab Riet, executive director of the French Hospital Federation, told France Inter radio station on Thursday.<\/p>\n The heat wave, driven by a high-pressure heat dome and atmospheric shifts from a developing El Ni\u00f1o, has led to widespread public health warnings. A record 72 departments in France are under red heat alerts, with similar warnings in effect in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland.<\/p>\n Temperatures in Paris are forecast to reach 41 degrees on Thursday, with 36 degrees possible in London on Friday, according to forecasters. Daytime highs in Frankfurt are set to top 40 degrees on Friday, according to weather models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.<\/p>\n The extreme heat is forecast to ease this weekend, but unusually warm temperatures are likely to linger throughout next week. – Bloomberg<\/p>\n London unveils first \u2018heat plan\u2019 The mayor of London has unveiled the city\u2019s first heat plan to keep Londoners safe during increasingly frequent heatwaves.<\/p>\n Expanding access to public drinking water and blue spaces \u2013 outdoor environments that prominently feature water \u2013 are among the priority areas of focus set out in the plan, entitled Heat Ready London.<\/p>\n Sadiq Khan said he hopes it will help tackle the \u201chuge obstacles\u201d the city faces with rising temperatures.<\/p>\n It comes as the UK swelters in exceptional heat as the hottest June day was recorded, with provisional temperatures reaching 36.1 degrees in Hampshire on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Heat Ready London focuses on six key sectors: the built environment, business and economy, emergency preparedness, resilience and response, health and care, green space and nature, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n The plan sets out a series of objectives, which includes protecting Londoners from the health impacts of rising temperatures and prioritising vulnerable people in high-risk areas. \u2013 PA<\/p>\n Check in on elderly neighbours<\/p>\n Holly O\u2019Neill, a meteorologist with Met \u00c9ireann, said the current high temperatures are being caused by \u201ca plume of hot air coming in off the Continent\u201d.<\/p>\n Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, O\u2019Neill said it would be difficult to pinpoint where exactly would experience the highest temperatures today but that it was likely to be in the midlands or Connacht, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n Keith Leonard, chairperson of the National Emergency Coordination Group, told the same programme about the \u201ccommon sense measures\u201d people could use to help themselves and each other.<\/p>\n He said high temperatures can be \u201cvery enjoyable\u201d but have \u201ca disproportionately difficult effect for elderly people, infants and young people\u201d.<\/p>\n Leonard encouraged people to check in on elderly neighbours or people living alone.<\/p>\n \u201cCall in, check that they\u2019re comfortable, that they\u2019ve accessed cold drinks. A short visit could make a huge difference to the wellbeing of an elderly neighbour today.\u201d<\/p>\n How to work (or get out of work) during the heatwave today<\/p>\n Many people will be stuck in the office today as temperatures are set to top 30 degrees.<\/p>\n In case you\u2019re wondering if you have a legal right to stay home amid a heatwave, we have bad news.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no specific law\u201d that mandates workplaces to close when temperatures reach a certain point, \u201cbut there is a legal obligation on employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees\u201d, said Michael Doherty, a law professor at Maynooth University.<\/p>\n Working conditions during extreme weather events (a more common example in Ireland would be a storm) \u201care usually the subject of contracts or employee policies\u201d, Doherty said, \u201cso it\u2019s difficult to find a law for these things as they\u2019re so context specific\u201d.<\/p>\n Read Stephen Conneely\u2019s report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Are you Irish and in Europe? If so, how are you coping with the heat?<\/p>\n We would like to hear from people from Ireland living or travelling in parts of Europe impacted by extreme heat.<\/p>\n You can share your experiences by using the form here<\/a>.<\/p>\n More high temperatures and thunderstorms expected on Friday<\/p>\n Dry today with good sunshine mostly apart from patches of rain & drizzle near W & NW coasts early on<\/p>\n Potential for thunderstorms\u26c8\ufe0f to develop later likely in the W & NW. Torrential downpours with hail\ud83c\udf27\ufe0f, frequent lightning & gusty winds are all possible\ud83c\udf43<\/p>\n Highs of 25 to 31 C\ud83c\udf21\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/d6pUlWDYPq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Met \u00c9ireann (@MetEireann) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Meteorologist Gerry Murphy said even though the high temperature warning is due to end at 9am on Friday, tomorrow will be \u201cvery warm\u201d.<\/p>\n He told Morning Ireland temperatures in the Dublin region could reach up to 31 degrees, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we\u2019re looking at potential records today but it may turn out that in the east of the country we have near record temperatures tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy said more widespread thunderstorms, especially across the west and north of the country, are expected tomorrow.<\/p>\n Why is it so hot and when will Ireland\u2019s very warm weather end?<\/p>\n This is the second time this summer a prolonged heatwave has seized Europe. But behind this spike in temperatures is a \u201cheat dome\u201d hovering above the land mass, Stephen Conneely reports.<\/p>\n The phrase heat dome has only come into use relatively recently and \u201cisn\u2019t a traditional meteorological term\u201d, according to Matthew Martin, a forecasting meteorologist at Met \u00c9ireann. He said it was commonly used \u201cto refer to a slow moving area of high pressure\u201d that \u201cusually develops above large, continental areas\u201d.<\/p>\n Martin explained that this high pressure builds over several days and restricts air from rising higher in the atmosphere, trapping and condensing heat closer to Earth\u2019s surface. This is a double-edged sword, as air this close to the ground is unable to form clouds, allowing prolonged and direct sunlight to further heat the landscape.<\/p>\n Read the full explanation here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thunder and hail storms possible in the west Meteorologist Gerry Murphy has warned there could be thunder and hail storms in the west as temperatures are set to be in the high 20s and over 30 degrees in parts of the midlands and Connacht, Vivienne Clarke reports.<\/p>\n There is the potential for the record high temperature to be challenged but it\u2019s not certain to be broken, he told RT\u00c9 Radio\u2019s Morning Ireland.<\/p>\n \u201cTemperatures yesterday in the west didn\u2019t get up as high because there was a fair amount of clouds. So that means today is not starting from quite as high a base as it might be. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd secondly, as we go through the day there are actually thunderstorms off the west coast at the moment and if the cloud moves in a bit more, further inland, and those thunderstorms begin to develop later that may keep a cap on the temperature.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy said thunderstorms in Connacht and Ulster may turn \u201csignificant … because there is so much heat in the atmosphere\u201d.<\/p>\n The Met \u00c9ireann meteorologist said it will be \u201ca very hot day everywhere\u201d and the cloud cover \u201cwill make temperatures feel more intense and humid\u201d. <\/p>\n He advised people to be \u201cvery careful\u201d, make sure they stay hydrated, wear sun cream and take care near bodies of water.<\/p>\n Soaring temperatures across Europe Soaring temperatures in France, Italy, Spain and England and other countries in western Europe have put significant strain on tens of millions of people<\/a>. One analysis estimated that close to 100 million people in Europe are facing temperatures of more than 35 degrees.<\/p>\n Temperatures climbed to 41 degrees in Nantes and surrounding areas in western France on Wednesday, with Paris experiencing similar highs. That left one-third of France\u2019s administrative regions on notice for an elevated risk of forest fires due to the spiking temperatures, low humidity, winds and dry ground conditions.<\/p>\n Spain\u2019s forecasting agency Aemet warned that parts of the country faced \u201csignificant danger\u201d from the extraordinarily high temperatures, which surpassed 40 degrees in some northern regions.<\/p>\n High temperature warning still in place<\/p>\n \u26a0\ufe0fYellow High Temperature Warning for Ireland \ud83c\udf21\ufe0f<\/p>\n Possible impacts: \u23f31200 Tue 23\/06 to 0900 Fri 26\/06\u231b\ufe0f<\/p>\n \u2139\ufe0fhttps:\/\/t.co\/lvQFgW8DsS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/explvxr1u8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Met \u00c9ireann (@MetEireann) June 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n A status yellow high temperature warning remains in place for Ireland. It came into effect at midday on Tuesday and will remain in place until 9am on Friday.<\/p>\n Met \u00c9ireann has said there will be maximum temperatures in excess of 27 degrees combined with night-time minima in excess of 15 degrees. <\/p>\n The potential impacts include water safety issues due to increased use of lakes and beaches; uncomfortable sleeping conditions; heat stress; and possible forest fires.<\/p>\n Ireland bracing for hottest day of 2026, possibly smashing 140-year record<\/p>\n The punishing heatwave<\/a> that has swept across Europe, during which temperatures have climbed to unprecedented highs, is set to continue on Thursday. <\/p>\n Moreover, Ireland is bracing for the hottest day of 2026, possibly smashing a 150-year record<\/a>, Conor Pope and Jack Power report.<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/42H2PVRX6GLHGLNL4BSIP5VMCY.jpg\")
People jump into Canal Saint-Martin in Paris on Thursday. Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/CBDHIOIPQ34NJOAM2XTL23KSTI.jpg\")
People enjoy the hot weather in Battersea Park, London on June 24th. Photo: Jordan Pettitt\/PA <\/p>\n![\"Sunbathers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GAQZIOLGJKUK6RUP4IC6KNVRFA.jpg\")
Sunbathers at Seapoint in D\u00fan Laoghaire, Dublin, on Tuesday. Photograph: Niall Carson\/PA <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/KLGADDLLHLYOYHAEUC5KES36CU.jpg\")
A woman uses a fan at Plaza Mayor in Madrid on June 23th. Photograph: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez\/Getty Images <\/p>\n
\u2022 Water safety issues due to increased use of lakes\/beaches
\u2022 Uncomfortable sleeping conditions
\u2022 Heat stress
\u2022 Forest fires a possibility<\/p>\n