WEEKEND WEATHER: Kilkenny faces more ‘unsettled’ conditions as ‘Lucifer’ burns through Europe
AS the Mediterranean bakes in heatwave causing sweltering conditions and rising temperatures in mainland Europe, people in Kilkenny and the rest of the country can instead look forward to more unsettled conditions this weekend.
In its latest forecast, Met Éireann said we can expect more wet and windy conditions over the coming days, with occasional sunny spells.
The national forecaster said today will be blustery and there’s also a flooding risk tomorrow. Sunday will bring some further showery rain at times but good dry periods also.
Looking ahead to next week, Monday and Tuesday will see a mixture of sunny spells and scattered showers.
The mercury will not rise above 20C over the coming days with the following temperature highs expected: Friday (20 degrees), Saturday (19 degrees), Sunday (20 degrees), Monday (20 degrees), Tuesday (20 degrees).
Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean the Italian island of Sicily may have registered the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe – a sweltering 48.8 degrees.
The reading still needs to be verified by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) but according to the WMO, the current official record in Europe is 48 degrees, registered in Athens in 1977.
The heatwave is being caused by an anticyclone – nicknamed Lucifer – which has moved up from Africa.
This weather phenomenon results in high atmospheric pressure where the air is sinking. At present, Lucifer is forecast to head north across mainland Italy.
The heatwave has resulted in a series of wildfires across southern Italy, with Sicily, Calabria and Puglia the worst-hit regions.
The scorching temperatures are set to reach parts of Spain over the coming days, the holiday destination of choice for many Irish people.
A special weather alert has been issued by Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) who is warning of conditions far hotter than normal.
While it’s not know how long the heatwave will last, it looks highly unlikely that Lucifer will impact Ireland’s weather patterns massively, especially given the general forecast for the next month.
Next week will see a changeable pattern as an Atlantic airflow largely dominates.
Met Eireann said this will cause ‘blustery or even windy conditions with showery spells of rain and possible warnings’.
As for temperatures, next week will be around normal for mid-August with rainfall figures slightly below normal.
Looking further ahead, next week is likely to be more settled as a spell of high pressure makes a positive impact with much less rainfall than expected for this time of year.
