NORTHERN Ireland could surpass its hottest day ever with an amber weather warning for extreme heat issued for the next few days.
The Met Office last night said temperatures could rise above 30C today and into tomorrow.
The extreme heat warning comes as the north continues to bask in glorious sunshine with popular beaches and beauty spots yesterday thronging with visitors.
The Met Office has issued an amber alert covering the period from 8am today until 11.59pm on Friday night, with Met Éireann warnings also in place in the Republic.
It comes just days after Northern Ireland recorded a provisional record high temperature on Saturday, when the mercury hit 31.2C (88F) in Ballywatticock close to Newtownards.
Previously, the highest temperature of 30.8C (87.4F) was recorded on July 12 1983 and June 30 1976.
But the new record may be exceeded this week with the Met Office predicting that the temperature will rise above 30C (86F) today and Thursday, particularly in inland areas.
A Met Office statement said: "The current hot weather is expected to continue until later this week, with daytime temperatures peaking on Wednesday and Thursday.
"High overnight temperatures are also expected before temperatures fall on Friday."
Thing will start to cool down again over the weekend, with temperatures returning to between 20C and 25C.
The Met Office warning comes with an appeal to watch out for heat exhaustion and sunburn. It warned that over the next few days many people could be at risk of sunburn or heat exhaustion, including dehydration, nausea and fatigue.
Some hospitals have reported a slight rise in those seeking help.
The more vulnerable are being warned of more adverse health effects.
This is the first year the UK Met Office has issued extreme heat warnings.
It launched its new extreme heat warning at the start of June 2021 to highlight potential widespread disruption and adverse health effects. Amber is the second-highest level in the system.
The nidirect government services website issued updated advice for people on staying safe in the sun.
"Extreme heat can have health consequences, as well as increased traffic near coastal areas, increased use of water and an increase in wildfire risk," it said.
The website said extreme heat could also cause ongoing pressures on water resources and an increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail, leading to power cuts and the loss of other services.
The website also warned that more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers in coming days, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents.
Meanwhile, NI Water has also urged the public to urgently reduce water usage to avoid shortages.
Des Nevin, director of customer operations, said, if the current demand continues, it will lead to failures in the system and some customers will lose supply.