Hottest day of the year sees Northern Ireland bask in sun - but heatwave dies down as Bank Holiday weekend nears
The province spent today (30th) basking in the sun as this week’s heatwave sent temperatures soaring to hit the hottest day of the year so far.
Sun-worshippers dashed to the beach as unusually hot and sunny weather had people reaching for the tanning lotion, getting glimpse of summer at the end of April.
But Wednesday marked the end of the heatwave that’s been delighting Northern Ireland, as temperatures are set to fall as the Bank Holiday weekend approaches.
According to a Met Office spokeswoman, the long weekend will actually be very pleasant, dry and largely bright – but it’ll seem a little unspectacular compared to the hot sun that kicked off this week.
And although hopes were raised that the middle of the week could set a new record for temperatures documented in Northern Ireland during April, the mercury didn’t quite move high enough to make it.
Wednesday’s top temperature was 23.4°C, found around 2pm in Co Fermanagh village Derrylin. The still standing April record, set in 1984, is 24.5°C.
After the heat passes, Thursday will see temperatures fall to a still above average 15°C to 16°C, before settling to somewhere between 12°C and 14°C over the Bank Holiday weekend – meaning the weather will be much more in line with what’s normally expected in early May.
“It will be a nice Bank Holiday weekend, largely dry and with sunny spells,” said the Met Office spokeswoman.
"It just won’t seem as much compared the period of very nice weather that ended April – but if you can find patches of sun to sit out in, there’ll be a lot to enjoy.”
However two provincewide authorities warned the public to be careful of wildfires during prolonged periods of dry and sunny weather.
A hot spell at the start of April was marred by a swathe of large gorse fires in rural areas, many of them started deliberately.
Both NI Water and Agriculture, the Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir appealed for people to take precautions against fires.
"The scale of the destruction wreaked upon our countryside was heart-breaking to see,” said Mr Muir. “These fires caused a devastating impact on wildlife, flora and fauna, risked livestock and impacted both local residents and businesses.
"That damage however was undoubtedly greatly reduced by the preparedness of all agencies involved with great expertise and courage displayed.
“As we face into the months ahead I would once again appeal to everyone using the countryside we all cherish to exercise care and play their part in reducing the burden on our emergency services. We all have a responsibility to prevent a recurrence of these devastating fires.”
Appealing for vigilance, NI Water revealed that incidents earlier this month had set back work helping the Mourne mountains recover from wildfires in 2021.
Said catchment officer Becca Allen: “Areas where we were seeing green shoots of recovery have since been destroyed, flora and fauna were scorched and species diversity reduced.
“Visitors should not light fires in or around our sites. Activities such as littering, using disposable BBQs and burning waste increases the risk of wildfires, especially when weather conditions are breezy, so special care must be taken.”