Ireland is set to sizzle during “a long spell of good weather”, a meteorologist has said. 

In Athenry, Galway, Met Éireann said a temperature of 25.9°C was recorded yesterday - the highest ever in Ireland during the month of April. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Carlow Weather’s Alan O’Reilly said the mercury soared across the country. 

“17 stations broke their April record yesterday,” he said. 

“That includes Valentia in County Kerry which has records as far as 1850 - so it was a very unusual April day in terms of heat, for sure.” 

People queuing for ice cream from an ice cream van on the beach at Portmarnock in Dublin. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Mr O’Reilly said the best location would have been inland where “a bit of a breeze kept things a little but cooler”. 

“So, for example, Carlow didn’t break its record,” he said.  

“But still, it was very warm across the country.

“Most of the records were in the Midlands, in the West - although Phoenix Park in Dublin broke the record by 0.2°C. 

“So, it was a warm day right across the country.” 

Icecream man Carlo Scapaticci gives Rossi the dog a treat from his van. Picture by: Colin Keegan/Alamy.com.

Mr O’Reilly added that the weather should last for over a week. 

“We are going to see a long spell of good weather,” he said. 

“There’s very little rainfall forecast for the next 10-days - apart from a few showers, some of them today, in the South. 

“And there is a chance of a shower kicking off here and there over the weekend. 

“It will get up to 22, 23, 24°C in the South again today but it’ll only be about 13, 14°C in the North - so, a huge contrast. 

“And it is going to turn much cooler back down to 13 or 14°C, so I wouldn’t go full summer wardrobe just yet because it will feel a good bit cooler. 

“It’ll be that jumper on, jumper off weather.” 

Ireland’s highest ever temperature was recorded in Kilkenny in 1887 when the thermostat hit 33.5°C.

Man image: People enjoy jumping in and swimming at the Forty Foot in Dublin. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie