HEATWAVE: Could the 33-degree temperature record be broken today?

The heatwave that has baked Ireland over the last week is set to continue for the next two weeks.

The temperatures peaked on Thursday June 27, reaching 32 degrees, a figure recorded at Shannon Airport.

It is likely to reach that again today, Friday, and may even reach to as high as 33 degrees.

Cathal Nolan of the Midland Weather Channel says our weather will remain very settled and very dry over the weekend, but there's a risk of thunderstorms next week.

"Next week will be a lot more humid and we'll still see temperatures of 25 - 30 degrees C. The difference is that it will be a lot more muggy," he told the Westmeath Examiner.

"There will be an increase in humidity. There's a possibility on Sunday of one or two thunderstorms making their way across the Irish Sea and reaching the midlands in the afternoon and evening, but that risk substantially increases again on Tuesday and Wednesday into Thursday.

"It's already 25 degrees at Shannon Airport and it's only 11am (Friday June 29). We still have another five hours of heat so it could peak at 33 degrees today in some areas around 3-4pm."

Ireland has enjoyed various extremes in weather over the last six months - with the 'Beast from the East', and the 'Pest from the West', Cathal has now dubbed this heatwave the 'Dry High'.

"Ireland is not used to such weather extremes. In the winter our roads can't cope with the frost, now they're melting with the heat.

"It doesn't look like there's going to be a break in the weather until July 9th, almost two more weeks of very hot weather."