Joe and Rachel Flood with their son Harper (3) at Portmarnock beach

Met Éireann has issued a five-day 'High-Temperature' warning with temperatures expected to exceed 27C this week.

Forecaster Harm Luijkx declared this morning; "The heatwave is officially here".

The nationwide warning was issued at 6am this morning and will be valid until 9pm on Friday.

Irish Water has warned that it may have to implement water restrictions as the country is set to swelter in a 30C heatwave this week.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Ross and Alvin Deasy, Douglas in their elaborate head wear at Cork's Long Table Dinner 2018. Photographer: Joleen Cronin Aine O'Connor, Cork City Lord Mayor Cllr. Mick Finn with Lorraine Maye, Cork Midsummer Festival at Cork's Long Table Dinner 2018. Photographer: Joleen Cronin South Mall in Cork city is transformed into an elegant outdoor dining area for over 420 guests at Cork’s Long Table Dinner, as part of Cork Midsummer Festival Photographer: Joleen Cronin South Mall in Cork city is transformed into an elegant outdoor dining area for over 420 guests at Cork’s Long Table Dinner, as part of Cork Midsummer Festival. Photographer: Joleen Cronin Gareth Lee and Rebeka Herczeg, Dundalk, enjoying the heatwave at Blackrock beach in Co Louth. Picture:Arthur Carron Gareth Lee, Rebeka Herczeg and Alicia Hearty, Dundalk, enjoying the heatwave at Blackrock beach in Co Louth. Picture:Arthur Carron Sophie Turley, age 4, Forkhill, enjoying the heatwave at Blackrock beach in Co Louth. Picture:Arthur Carron Cormac Toner, age 4 and his sisterNiamh, age 7, Dromiskin, enjoying the heatwave at Blackrock beach in Co Louth. Picture:Arthur Carron Niamh Toner, age 7, Dromiskin, Co Louth, enjoying the heatwave at Blackrock beach in Co Louth. Picture:Arthur Carron Twins Abagail and Amy McKeever, age 9, Dundalk, enjoying the heatwave at Blackrock beach in Co Louth. Picture:Arthur Carron Three and a half year old Arthur Russell from Bayside, pictured as he explores the shallow water at Burrow beach in Sutton. Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/6/18 Three and a half year old Arthur Russell from Bayside, pictured as he explores the shallow water at Burrow beach in Sutton. Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/6/18 Brothers, Eoghan [2] and Donagh O Leary [4] from Artane pictured enjoying the sunshine at Burrow beach in Sutton. Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/6/18 Two year old Eoghan O Leary from Artane, pictured as he plays in the shallow water at Burrow beach in Sutton. Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/6/18 Five year old Grace Devine [right] from Marino pictured with her sisters Martha and Jane both 2 years old as they enjoy the sunshine at Burrow beach in Sutton. Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/6/18 Twins Martha and Jane Devine from Marino [2] pictured with their older sister Grace [5] as they enjoy the sunshine at Burrow beach in Sutton. Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 22/6/18 People enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Roly the Tibetan terrier & Kate O'Callaghan from Sutton enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Diana Hurdoyal 1 from Portobello enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Gallagher Brothers (L to R) Conor 4 & 3 Alex both from Maynooth enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Roly the Tibetan terrier & Kate O'Callaghan from Sutton enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Tanya Cross from Sydney performs on a tightrope whilst enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Nadia Montero orignally from Mexico City but now living in Portobello enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Sasha Olsson from Gothenburg Sweden enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Mayara Agappes orignally from Sao Paulo Brazil but now living in Kilmainham enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Maria Gallerdo originally from Spain but now living in Dundrum and Laura Gonzalez originally from Spain but now living in the city centre enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins People enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins People enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins People enjoying the good weather in Stephens Green,Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins / Facebook

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Whatsapp Ross and Alvin Deasy, Douglas in their elaborate head wear at Cork's Long Table Dinner 2018. Photographer: Joleen Cronin

The utility has urged householders and businesses to conserve water as supplies are now at serious risk in the greater Dublin area, as well as Donegal and the midlands, particularly in Athlone and Mullingar, parts of Offaly and Kilkenny.

The Dublin region alone is currently using 600 million litres of water a day, which is close to the maximum level of water that can be treated on a daily basis.

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Irish Water may introduce night-time water restrictions.

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Whatsapp Ailish Smyth, Dunlaoghaire pictured enjoying the Summer Sun at The Body and Soul Festival at Clonmellon, Co. Westmeath. Photo: Colin O'Riordan

According to Met Eireann, this week "could well be" the hottest June weather since 1976, which hit spikes of 31 degrees.

Highs yesterday included 26 degrees at Shannon Airport and areas of Cork. The forecaster advised that inland counties will experience the hottest temperatures, while coastal counties will be slightly cooled by "pleasant" sea breezes.

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While it will cool down to around 13-15 degrees in the evening, the forecaster advised that night is not long enough to cause homes to lose heat.

"The night is short and the day is long," explained Mr Luijkx on RTE Radio One's Morning Ireland.

"Temperatures will be around 13 and 15 which is not enough to get rid of the heat in the house."

Temperatures may peak as high as 30C by Friday, making Ireland hotter than Portugal's Algarve.

Restrictions

Irish Water will be meeting this morning to assess the situation. In a statement released last night, it said: "If demand consistently meets or exceeds supply, there may be water outages in the greater Dublin area as Irish Water manages the network and tries to minimise the impact on homes and businesses.

"Irish Water's drought management group has been meeting regularly to assess at-risk supplies that include the midlands - particularly Athlone and Mullingar - parts of Offaly, Kilkenny, parts of Donegal and the greater Dublin area, where demand for treated water almost meets supply availability regularly."

Currently, the supply of untreated water in reservoirs serving the greater Dublin area - the Varty reservoir at Roundwood and the Poulaphouca reservoir in Co Wicklow - are "reasonable and we do not see shortages at present".

However, if the current dry spell continues, "they may come under pressure later in the year".

"The main pressure is on treated water capacity, which, along with our treated water storage, can meet the normal daily range of demands at present.

"However, in the recent dry spells, we have seen a significant increase of the order of 20-30 million litres per day, which reaches and occasionally exceeds our maximum production capacity. This is not sustainable on a long-term basis without some management action," said the utility.

Met Éireann has said temperatures are set to climb steadily in the coming days as the heatwave takes hold.

The mercury soared to 26C in some places yesterday. By 8pm last night, it was still 24C at the weather stations at Mount Dillon, in Co Roscommon and in Mullingar. Today temperatures will peak at between 24C and 27C.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, forecaster Deirdre Lowe said: "It is possible that we will get 30 point something (temperatures)" by Friday.

Temperatures will remain warm at night, with the mercury hovering in the mid to high teens.

Ms Lowe said that while some records were likely to be broken this week, it was unlikely they would match the blistering 33.3C recorded in Kilkenny in 1887.

The last record was set in 1976 when the temperature climbed to 31.6C in Co Clare.

Meanwhile, a charity has appealed for donations of water and sunscreen to distribute to homeless people in Dublin this week.

Inner City Helping Homeless said it would be setting up "hydration stations" from this morning to help keep people hydrated in the hot weather. It said: "No public water fountains or access to water is a grave concern, especially for those who are spending extended periods on the street."

Irish Independent