Main PointsA nationwide high-temperature warning for the Republic has been extended into Saturday by Met ÉireannA status orange thunderstorm warning has been put in place for counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. It expieres at 8pm. Yellow thunderstorm warnings for counties Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Tipperary, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath and all of Connacht came into force from 9am until 6pmA separate thunderstorm warning for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Longford and all of Connacht will continue from 6pm to 10pmIn Northern Ireland, thunderstorm warnings are in place for counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry until 10pm Three stations in Ireland have now met heatwave criteria, Met Éireann confirmed this lunchtimeA heat dome has pushed temperatures above 40 degrees in parts of western Europe this week, leading to hundreds of deaths Key ReadsWhy is it so hot and when will Ireland’s ‘exceptionally warm weather’ end?Do I have to go to work during Ireland’s heatwave?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: Heatwave grips IrelandStephen Conneely - 16 minutes agoThousands of homes still without power this afternoon, ESB saysAround 6,500 homes, farms and businesses were without power in Ireland as of 5pm today following outages associated with thunderstorms across parts of the country, ESB Networks has said.“Crews will continue to work to restore power to affected areas where it is safe to do so, noting the Status Orange and Yellow thunderstorm warnings which remain in place,” the energy provider said in a statement to The Irish Times.Stephen Conneely - 33 minutes agoStatus orange thunderstorm warning for Galway, Mayo and Roscommon effective immediatelyMet Eireann has placed counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon under a status orange thunderstorm warning with immediate effect. As of now, the warning is to be in place until 8pm this evening. “Clusters of thunderstorms in places,” are to be expected, Met Eireann said in a statement, but “not all areas will experience them”.It listed localised flooding, hail damage, difficult travelling conditions, damage to utilities including power, water, gas, telecommunications, very gusty winds and lightning damage as possible impacts of the storms.Stephen Conneely - 1 hour agoIrish runners get go ahead to race in Paris amidst ‘exceptional heatwave’Irish runners will, in the end, get to race this Sunday in the Paris Diamond League, a major meet on the international athletics circuit.But this is only allowed in an “adapted format”, with the day’s schedule of events being adjusted to ensure the safety of participants, after the Parisian police force issued orders for major events in the city to be cancelled this weekend.Middle distance runners Sarah Healy and Andrew Corcoran will run their 1500 metre races under temperatures forecast to soar well over 30 degrees in the French capital this weekend. And 400 metre sprinter Sharlene Mawdsley is set to make her Diamond-league debut in the record-breaking heat. 2026 World Athletics Relay Championships, National Stadium, Gaborone, Botswana 3/5/2026