FERMANAGH basked in glorious summer sunshine this week, as the county picked up the tail end of the extreme weather that saw southern Irish counties and a large swathe of Britain bake in record temperatures.
While it was slightly cooler here – or slightly less hot, to be more accurate – the beginning of the week brought the warmest days of the year so far for Fermanagh, with the mercury hitting almost 30 degrees in most parts of the county, and little respite during the evenings.
In fact, on Monday the county recorded what was likely its hottest day on record, with 31.1C recorded in Derrylin, just 0.2C less than the highest ever NI temperature of 31.3C, which was recorded in Castlederg last July.
The heat was warmly welcomed by Fermanagh sun worshippers, who took the chance to soak up the Vitamin D when they could, while the county’s waterways were awash with locals and holiday makers alike enjoying the many activities now available across the lough.
The weather also proved a welcome boost for local businesses, with ice-cream sales soaring and cafés and shops enjoying a roaring trade as the warm air saw many out and about, while Fermanagh’s farmers made hay while the sun was shining.
However, the heat was definitely a headache for others, and not just as a result of dehydration, with the SWAH’s emergency department facing unseasonable demand and local emergency services forced to issue safety warnings to the local community.
The good or bad news, depending on your point of view, is normal service is to resume over the coming days, with the rain returning and temperatures set to return to average for July.
According to Met Éireann, there could be mist in some parts of the county tonight (Wednesday), while temperatures will be a warm, but more manageable, 15-20 degrees over the coming days.
Tomorrow (Thurday) will be cloudy, with patchy rain possible, and a light breeze.
There will be more showery outbreak of rain tomorrow night, while Friday looks to be a mix of sunshine and showers.
As for the weekend, it will remain warm but will become unsettled.
“At the moment indications are that next weekend will become more unsettled with rain moving in from the southwest on Saturday evening and with further rain or showers on Sunday, it will be mild though with highs in the high teens to low twenties,” said a Met Éireann spokeswoman.
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