Ireland Records 28.6°C, May Temperature Record Broken Amid Extreme High Pressure

Ireland and other parts of Europe are experiencing record-breaking high temperatures due to an «extreme» meteorological event involving a persistent high-pressure system. Peter Thorne, director of the Icarus Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University, described it as a «very substantial blocking event» that has been stuck for days, allowing heat to build, exacerbated by climate change.

Paul Moore, a climatologist with Met Éireann, explained that an intense area of high pressure over northwest Europe, including Ireland, is causing air to sink and compress, suppressing cloud formation and increasing heat. This is similar to a bicycle pump heating up due to increased pressure. On Monday, Shannon Airport recorded 28.6 degrees, provisionally breaking Met Éireann's May temperature record, with a high likelihood of it being broken again on Tuesday.

Met Éireann has issued a status yellow high temperature warning for eight counties—Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, and Offaly—from Tuesday midday until Wednesday 6pm. Warnings have also been issued in other European countries, including the UK and France, which are also experiencing record temperatures. Despite the heat, it is not technically a heatwave in the Republic, as Met Éireann defines a heatwave as five consecutive days above 25 degrees at the same station; low pressure is expected by Thursday.

Thorne warned of potential deaths in Ireland due to the extreme heat, particularly affecting vulnerable populations in poorly ventilated homes. He suggested increasing ventilation and for the government to establish community «cool spaces» like libraries. He also noted the recent shift from cooler-than-average Arctic air masses in May to a warm air mass from the south as «weather whiplash,» a phenomenon becoming more common due to climate change.