Record temperatures recorded in Ballyhaise

As the country basked in a heatwave in recent days, a number of records were smashed all over the country and the national weather forecaster established a new Climate Services Division.

The weather station at Ballyhaise recorded a temperature of 30.5°C on Monday, July 18, the highest since records began, Met Éireann announced this week.

The same day mercury hit 33°C in Phoenix Park - the highest temperature clocked nationally in over a hundred years. It’s the second highest since data was first recorded in the early 1800s. 33.3°C was observed at Kilkenny Castle on June 26, 1887.

Monday’s records are ‘provisional’ subject to examination by a group of experts.

Continental Europe is experiencing its second heatwave of the summer, causing widespread impacts including wildfires, droughts and heat-related mortality. Meteorologists have said increases in the frequency and intensity of extremely hot weather are directly linked to climate change, which will continue to affect Ireland.

In response, Met Éireann has established a new ‘Climate Services Division’. This division will enhance the provision of climate services and ensure the best possible climate information is made available to users, policymakers and the general public.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Climatologist from UCC Kieren Hickey said: “We really have to take notice.”

“It’s definitely telling us something about the climate. The story it’s telling us is that, exactly what we’ve said global warming is going to do to northwestern Europe, is starting to happen,” he said.

“It’s not going to happen every summer but certainly we’re going to see these types of events much more frequently. And it’s starting to affect Ireland as well, although we’re reasonably well protected being way out in the Atlantic Ocean.”