Met Éireann extends thunderstorm warning to nine counties

Met Éireann has extended a thunderstorm warning to cover nine counties as the unsettled summer weather continues.

The national forecaster said thunder and lightning will strike parts of Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford on Sunday evening.

Intense rain downpours and spot flooding could impact some areas, along with difficult driving conditions. The alert is in place until 11pm on Sunday.

Status Yellow - Thunderstorm warning Updated - Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Waterford

Potential Impacts:
Spot Flooding ⚠️🌧️
Difficult travelling conditions 🚗 🚴 🚶

Valid up to 23:00 Sunday 16/07/2023https://t.co/Xg3aMJlyuS pic.twitter.com/uzbdeT09CQ

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) July 16, 2023

The warning comes amid a prolonged spell of unsettled weather in Ireland. Many parts of the country saw more than 50mm of rain this weekend.

Meanwhile, a heatwave has taken hold across many popular Irish family holiday hotspots in the Mediterranean, such as in Spain, Italy and Greece.

Forecasters say in the coming days parts of Italy and Greece could surpass the 48.8 degrees recorded in Syracuse, Sicily in August 2021, the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe.

The hot temperatures are being driven by a high pressure system that is sat across the region, allowing temperatures to build every.

A low-pressure system has been directed towards Ireland because of the weather in the rest of Europe, causing the recent wind and rain.

Temperatures have been slightly below average for the time of year.

Met Éireann said the weather outlook for Ireland is to remain unsettled or changeable this week with temperatures a little below average.