Northern Ireland’s heatwave record could be broken before its a week old, forecasters say.
As the Met Office issued its first ever amber weather warning for extreme heat in the region, they said it is possible Saturday’s blistering 31.2C could be exceeded this week.
The heat alert covers the period from 8am today (Wednesday) until 11.59pm on Friday night. On Tuesday, the thermometer reached 27.8C with the high recorded in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, but temperatures are expected to climb again over today and tomorrow, the forecaster told Belfast Live.
A spokesman said it is “not out of the question we will reach that [record high] again or perhaps exceed it, possibly on Wednesday, but more likely on Thursday”.
But, as temperatures remain high, the Met Office warned that nights will be “uncomfortable” with the needle only dropping back to the low 20s in the evenings. They said temperatures are expected to fall away on Friday, but only to the low 20s. The spokesman added that as well as the sunshine there could be some “heavy” localised showers over Wednesday and Thursday.
Asked about next month, the spokesman said there are “signs” of further warm weather coming. The current hot spell is due to a high pressure system which is fixed over Ireland and Britain at the minute and warm air being dragged in from the south.
The ‘provisional’ record high temperature on Saturday, when the mercury hit 31.2C (88F) in Ballywatticock close to Newtownards in Co Down at 3.40pm, is expected to be formalised in the coming days.
Previously, the highest temperature of 30.8C (87.4F) was recorded on July 12 1983 and June 30 1976.
The Ballywatticock sign altered by some local comedians
(Image: Jonathan Porter/PressEye)
The Met Office warning comes with an appeal to watch out for heat exhaustion and sunburn.
The NI Direct government services website issued updated advice for people on staying safe in the sun.
It said: “Extreme heat can have health consequences, as well as increased traffic near coastal areas, increased use of water and an increase in wildfire risk.”
The website said extreme heat could also cause ongoing pressures on water resources and an increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail, leading to power cuts and the loss of other services.
It also warned that more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers in coming days, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents.
NI Water has urged the public to urgently reduce water usage to avoid shortages.
Director of customer operations Des Nevin said if the current demand continues, it will lead to failures in the system and some customers will lose supply.
With the soaring temperatures, families have been flocking to Northern Ireland’s beaches and beauty spots.
Also yesterday, Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon sounded a warning about under pressure water supplies and congested roads as people flock to beauty spots.
She said: “These extremely high temperatures mean that demand for water has significantly increased with demand outstripping supply. NI Water is working hard to mitigate any impacts from this but we all have a role to play. I am appealing to everyone to please reduce unnecessary use to protect supplies. If everyone simply uses the water they actually need, there will be plenty for everyone.”
The Minister added: “In light of the current high temperatures, along with the ongoing pandemic, I would remind the public to avoid visiting places where there is a chance that large numbers of people will gather and crowds will form. This is particularly important as we know that delays are likely and this may result in people being in cars or on public transport for an extended period of time which can be very uncomfortable in very hot weather.”
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