Hitting the beach in Dunfanaghy
A HEATWAVE set to cover Ireland over the next 24 hours could last for more than two weeks, say forecasters.
And experts have revised their temperature forecasts – UPWARDS – to more than 30C in the Midlands.
But even here in Donegal temperatures inland could touch 26C, with up to 24C on the beaches.
Met Eireann had forecast drizzle for Friday evening; but that didn’t happen as sunshine covered many areas of Donegal.
Forecaster John Eagleton thinks the North West will be better than expected.
“We were always worried about low fronts producing too much cloud over the weekend before this sunny weather covers the North West but I don’t think it will be that bad; and will be much better than the models are saying,” he said.
He said the weather in Donegal will improve on Sunday will last until July 16 at least – and may go well beyond that.
Even if the hot conditions break down, he thinks another ‘Blocking High’ will cover the country later in the month to bring even more lovely weather.
Carolynne Harrison from the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny said staff there had been inundated with bookings because of the forecasts.
“We already had a large number of bookings but this has increased with people looking to book weekend breaks because of the warm weather,” she said.
“We’ve had families from both north and south also booking in for the week and looking to explore the county from here as their base. There’s huge interest in Glenveagh national park and the beaches,” she added.
Local lifeboat crews are calling for vigilance over the next week along our beaches and at sea.
The hot weather does lead to an increase of incidents at sea.
“People taking to the water must remain sensible,” said an RNLI spokeswoman.
“We would urge extreme caution in the hot weather because our experience shows that often in periods like this that people without experience can get into difficulty.”
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