Main PointsMet Éireann says daytime temperatures could top 30 degrees todayThe heat dome has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees in parts of western Europe this weekFrance recorded its hottest day ever on Tuesday, Are you Irish living in Europe? You can share your experiences of hot weather by using the form hereKey ReadsWhy is it so hot and when will Ireland’s ‘exceptionally warm weather’ end?From sunscreen to staying cool: how to keep yourself and your family safe in the heat‘Bathers should take care’: Swimmers advised to avoid some spots in Dublin due to rainfallIn pictures: Europe swelters in heat domeÓrla Ryan - 5 minutes agoWhy is it so hot and when will Ireland’s exceptionally warm weather end?This is the second time this summer a prolonged heatwave has seized Europe. But behind this spike in temperatures is a “heat dome” hovering above the land mass, Stephen Conneely reports.The phrase “heat dome” has only come into use relatively recently and “isn’t a traditional meteorological term”, according to Matthew Martin, a forecasting meteorologist at Met Éireann. He said it was commonly used “to refer to a slow moving area of high pressure” that “usually develops above large, continental areas”.Martin explained that this high pressure builds over several days and restricts air from rising higher in the atmosphere, trapping and condensing heat closer to Earth’s surface. This is a double-edged sword, as air this close to the ground is unable to form clouds, allowing prolonged and direct sunlight to further heat the landscape.Read the full explanation here.Órla Ryan - 23 minutes agoThunder and hail storms possible in the west Sunbathers at Seapoint in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin on Tuesday. Photo: Niall Carson/PA