Thunderstorms in Greece but nearly heatwave weather in Ireland says Met Éireann

Irish people jetting off as June begins to Greece our Portugal will be hit by thunderstorms while those staying home will enjoy near heatwave conditions with temperatures peaking at 25 degrees in parts.

That's according to Met Éireann which has issued a weather commentary on the fine spell which it says is set to continue over the June Holiday Weekend and right through the first week in June.

Meteorologists Rebecca Cantwell and Evelyn Cusack have jointly written a commentary on the weather explaining what's happening.

"The Azores anticyclone (high pressure system) is shifted from its normal position around the Azores (and hence its name) up to the north of Ireland producing an Easterly airflow over Ireland. This is called a blocking high-pressure system as it literally blocks out the rainbelts in the Atlantic and diverts away the Jet stream and low-pressure systems to the north and to the south and in fact over the Azores the Azores High has been replaced this week by a Low Pressure system and rain.

"Over southern Europe daytime heavy showers and thunderstorms will occur from Portugal over to Greece, while we enjoy fine, dry weather," they say.

So what else are they saying? 

Well, the weather is here to stay for a while and just in time for the Leaving Cert.

"So lovely, fine, sunny weather in store for Bloom and for all the myriad events around the country for the June Weekend but also for the start of the Leaving cert and best wishes to all the students from Met Éireann.

"Sea temperatures are nearly 16°C off Kerry but only 12°C in the Northeast Sea-surface-temperature   so an east to northeast airflow makes it feel fresh anywhere along  the north and east coast with air temperatures here typically of 15 to 18°C. But apart from these coastal areas and mountains mountains-forecast it will be warm with maximum values reaching 21 to 24°C countrywide and as high as 25 degrees in parts of the west," they say.

Ms Cusack told RTE however that the weather does not amount to a heatwave as there are subtle differences in heatwave weather and what we are experiencing at present.

The national outlook from the foreacaster is that the dominant high pressure to our northwest will move very little in the coming week continuing to keep it warm, for most, dry and generally sunny with temperatures in the high teens or low twenties. MORE DETAILS BELOW TWEET.

Dry, warm and sunny conditions expected for the week ahead☀️
A light to moderate easterly airflow will keep it coolest along eastern parts, with temperatures getting up to the mid-twenties further west.️ pic.twitter.com/eGAYUTH7PW

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 29, 2023

National forecast issued by Met Éireann on May 29

Tuesday: Warm, dry and sunny. Highest temperatures of 20 to 24 degrees Celsius, again warmest in the west. Light to moderate east to northeast breezes will however keep temperatures a little cooler along eastern fringes.

Dry and mostly clear at night with lowest temperatures of 7 to 11 degrees, some mist and fog patches in northern ulster in light northeasterly or variable winds.

Wednesday: Warm, dry and sunny. Highest temperatures of 18 to 24 degrees. Mostly moderate northeasterly breezes will keep things slightly cooler in the east with highs there of 15 to 17 degrees.

Dry and mainly clear night with lowest temperatures of 8 to 12 degrees in mostly light northeast breezes.

Thursday: Warm, dry and sunny once again with highest temperatures of 18 to 24 degrees. Once again though light to moderate easterly breeze will keep things temperatures slightly cooler on the east coast.

Dry and clear at night with lowest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees in mostly light easterly breezes.

Friday: Dry and warm in many parts, although there will be a little more passing cloud over the northern half of the country. Highest temperatures over the western half of the country will range from 21 to 24 degrees, while moderate easterly winds will keep highs over the eastern half of the country lower, ranging from 14 on the east coast up to 19 in the midlands.

Further outlook: Current indications suggest that high pressure will continue to stick around over the bank holiday weekend, remaining generally dry and sunny with temperatures reaching the high teens or low twenties away from the east coast and possibly reaching the mid-twenties in some western parts.