Temperatures to rise but will it be a heatwave?

Parts of Northern Ireland are set to record temperatures in the mid-20s over the next few days but it is not yet clear if it will be declared a heatwave.

This is because temperatures must reach 25C or above for three consecutive days for that to happen, according to the Met Office.

That threshold could be met, especially in western counties with about 25C expected on Thursday and possibly up to 28C on Friday.

However, temperatures look set to dip on Saturday with an expected temperature of about 23C.

One or two spots could still reach 25C on Saturday but that will not likely be confirmed until later in the day.

The average maximum temperature during the day at this time of year is 17.8C in Northern Ireland.

Other parts of the UK have different temperature thresholds to reach in the same amount of time, while in the Republic of Ireland a temperature of 25C must be recorded for at least five consecutive days, according to the Irish Meteorological Service, Met Éireann.

Temperatures in parts of Great Britain, particularly southeast England, are expected to reach 30C or higher in the coming days with a heatwave likely to be declared at the weekend.

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.

That surpassed a previous record of 27.6C which had stood in Armagh since 1906.