Hot Sunday Turns Stormy as Thunderstorms Target Munster This Afternoon
Cork braces for 30°C heat before thunderstorms sweep across Munster this afternoon, bringing dramatic temperature drop and heavy rain tonight.
Cork should prepare for a dramatic weather shift today as scorching temperatures reaching 30°C give way to heavy thunderstorms moving across Munster from the southwest this afternoon.
Met Éireann has forecast the hottest day of the weekend will take a stormy turn, with showery rain and potential thunderstorms developing across the province during the afternoon and evening hours. The morning will start dry with hazy sunshine, but cloud cover will rapidly increase from the southwest.
Temperatures are expected to climb into the very high twenties, with some areas potentially reaching 30°C by early afternoon before the arrival of cooler air and rain from the southwest. The southwestern counties will experience slightly cooler conditions as the weather front moves through.
Nick Critch from Weather Alerts Ireland confirmed the significant weather change ahead:
"Another hot day today with temperatures by early afternoon in the very high twenties or even 30°C! A band of rain and cooler air is forecast to push in from the southwest this afternoon allowing temperatures to drop slightly. There is a risk of thunderstorms in the west this afternoon with Connacht and west Munster most at risk."
Tonight will bring continued unsettled conditions as spells of showery rain move northwards, with the potential for heavy and thundery downpours. Overnight temperatures will vary significantly across the region, with eastern areas remaining quite warm at around 20°C, whilst western counties will see temperatures drop to the low teens.
Looking ahead to Monday, the changeable pattern continues with sunny spells and scattered showers during the morning. However, the afternoon and evening will see increasing cloud cover and longer spells of rain, with temperatures significantly cooler at 14 to 19°C.
East to southeast winds will remain mainly light to moderate today but will strengthen and become gusty near shower areas. Both pollen levels and the UV index remain high in sunny conditions, dropping to moderate under cloud cover.
The national outlook suggests continued unsettled weather through the week, though temperatures are expected to gradually climb back into the twenties by Thursday.
