Slap on the sun cream as NI gets ready to sizzle

It has been a cold start to the month of May but this week is going to feel quite warm, the national forecaster told the News Letter.

Today will have temperatures of around 18-19C.

“But the warmest day is likely to be Tuesday or Wednesday which will probably have temperatures as high as 20-21C,” a Met Office spokesman said.

“The exception will be the east coast which will have a cooler onshore wind, so the westerly parts of Northern Ireland will be the warmest.

“The east coast by contrast will be between 13-16 degrees C over the week. Then by the end of the week most of NI will be at about 15-17C.

“Throughout the week there will be hazy sunshine like Sunday but there will also be some good spells of sunshine.”

By the end of the week it will become a bit cloudier with the risk of rain returning, he added.

“The average maximum temperature for this time of year is 14-15C so this warm spell this week is about 5-6C above average for this time of year.”

The week got off to a slightly warmer start than the rest of May, with inland temperatures up to almost 18C yesterday.

Peak temperatures yesterday were 17.8 at Derrylin, 17.3 in Armagh, 16.1 at Castlederg, 15.7 at Aldergrove and 15.2 at Katesbridge.

Again, a cool offshore breeze meant that temperatures along the east coast yesterday were slightly cooler at 12-14, the Met Office said.

The national UK forecast for this week is “dry and sunny”.

Today is to see another chilly start, then fine and dry with plenty of sunshine, feeling pleasantly warm in the sunshine, but breezier than Sunday in the far south and west.

Tuesday to Thursday will be fine with plenty of warm sunshine, though it will be cooler near southern and eastern coasts.