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Northern Ireland records first heatwave in two years

Barra Best
BBC News NI weather presenter
Getty Images A hand holding an ice cream cone. The ice cream is melting onto the person's hand. Getty Images
Temperatures rose above 25C on Saturday.

Northern Ireland has recorded its first heatwave in two years as temperatures rose above 25C on Saturday.

The Met Office weather station at Castlederg in County Tyrone saw the thermometer reach 25.3C.

The same site recorded heat of 29.5C on Friday and 25.7C on Thursday, meaning a heatwave threshold of three consecutive days of temperatures of 25C or above has been met.

The highest temperatures on record for Northern Ireland in June is 30.8C recorded at Knockarevan in County Fermanagh in June 1976.

Met Office A graphic showing Ireland and the UK, along with a temperature colour grid Met Office

High temperatures on Friday were followed by the warmest June night on record with temperatures falling no lower than 18.2C at Aldergrove in County Antrim.

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The last time a heatwave was recorded in Northern Ireland was early in September 2023, when a new monthly record of 28C was set at Castlederg in County Tyrone.

Triona Coll Five women swimming in Moira Lakes early in the morning. The sunrise is visible in the distance. They are all looking away from the camera. Triona Coll
An early morning summer solstice swim at Moira Lakes

Cooling down from Sunday

The short three-day heatwave will come to an end quickly on Sunday with temperatures expected to reach between 15-17C, more than 10 degrees lower than Friday.

The cooler conditions will also come with a breakdown in weather with fresh westerly winds bringing a scattering of showers, which could be heavy and thundery.