Latest: Drivers warned as high temperatures see roads melting in the West
There are reports of tar melting on roads in the west of the country with temperatures reaching as high as 30C degrees in some parts.
Mayo County Council has said crews are spreading grit on a number of routes that have already been affected by the high temperatures.
Road Safety Alert: Our gritters are on standby to deal with melting roads in the blazing sunshine. Gritters can be used for hail and in this case shine!
— Mayo County Council (@MayoCoCo) June 26, 2018
Please be aware and drive carefully. pic.twitter.com/W28Q45FA1K
According to RTÉ, a number of roads have already needed repair and gritting has already begun around Turlough, as well as Ballinrobe and several spots in Connemara.
Temperatures are expected to reach upwards of 30C over the coming days.
Motorists are being urged to take care as road conditions can become slick and very dangerous in the heat.
Meanwhile, people are being urged to conserve water supplies, as the heatwave continues.
Supplies in parts of the country including Athlone, Kilkenny and Longford have already seen outages.
The situation is being closely monitored in Donegal, Galway, Limerick and Mullingar.
Earlier: Water outages in Athlone, Kilkenny, Longford and Dublin as temperatures hit 30 degrees
Irish Water has thanked the public for reducing consumption, but says demand is still critically high.
The utility says water use in the Greater Dublin Area has fallen slightly.
Parts of the country have already seen outages in water supply including Athlone, Kilkenny, Longford and north Dublin.
The situation is being closely monitored in Donegal, Galway, Limerick and Mullingar.
As temperatures continue to soar, people are being reminded to take extra care in the sun with temperatures set to reach 30 degrees in some parts.
It will be cooler along coasts but the Irish Cancer Society says it is still important to apply good SPF and reapply regularly.
Very warm in aft with long spells of hazy sunshine throughout the country. Temp will range from 26 to 30°C, it will be slightly less near the coast due to onshore breezes esp along the E&S coast. Dry&calm OVN with lows 13 to 15°C. Fog patches forming in a few places around dawn. pic.twitter.com/jEWYfxsKBW
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) June 27, 2018
Temperatures are forecast to hit 30 degrees in many parts of the country today, as the heatwave continues.
Irish Water is warning that supply may have to be restricted in the Greater Dublin area if demand remains high.
Irish Water's Drought Management Team is meeting this morning to assess water supplies countrywide.
It says water restrictions will become unavoidable, because demand is very close to outstripping the supply available.
The utility's again urging households and businesses to limit water use.
A small, but significant, update to our earlier tweet. Usage of 602 million litres occurred Friday 22 July, with yesterdays usage for the Greater Dublin Area at 609 million litres. #ConserveWater https://t.co/DdLdEklFAK
— Uisce Éireann - Irish Water (@IrishWater) June 26, 2018
Met Eireann's Joan Blackburn says today will be hot and sunny in many parts: "Particularly in western parts of the country over parts of Connacht and west Munster, we will see temperatures of about 30 degrees.
"Generally sunny conditions in most places though a bit of high cloud in southern counties at times making it a bit more hazy but really warm everywhere."
Shallow mist & fog patches clearing soon after dawn. Dry with hazy sunshine today in light easterly breezes. Very warm or hot during the afternoon, with highs of 26 to 30 generally, but sea breezes will keep temperatures in the low 20s especially near southern & eastern coasts. pic.twitter.com/PQMSJck16g
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) June 27, 2018
