This week Met Éireann issued weather warnings with temperatures of over 30 degrees. The hot spell here and over Western Europe has been due to something called a heat dome.
To explain what that's all about, RTÉ's Environment Correspondent George Lee joined Florence and Cathal in the news2day studio to tell us all about this phenomenon.
Press play on the image above to see George's news2day Explainer.
A so-called 'heat dome' of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the high temperatures not usually seen until high summer.
People in Ireland and across Europe are being warned to take extra care and some restrictions have been put in place.
A new Irish temperature record for May was set Wednesday, a day after the previous one was broken, as a Status Yellow heat warning remains in effect for eight counties.
The record for the month of May in Ireland was broken at Shannon Airport where it hit 30.5C.
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Visit www.rte.ie/news2day for more from the show.
