The South East is currently basking in a heat wave. Officially, Met Éireann defines a heatwave as a period of five or more consecutive days above 25c.
Ireland officially entered a heatwave last Friday when the weather station in Carlow recorded temperatures above 25c for the five required days, and the sun has continued to shine ever since.
Clonea Strand pictured above, around 11am on Sunday 12 July.
With the days ahead forecast to be sunny, and reports of another period of high pressure in the weeks ahead, the sunny South East looks set to live up to its name, for another while at least.
Understandably, people have flocked to Waterford’s beaches to make the most of this precious natural amenity, cool off, and enjoy the sun.
Views form Counsellors’ Strand Dunmore East Co Waterford Sunday 12th July 2026.
Locally, beach adjacent businesses are enjoying a well-earned boost in sales, as people travel from across the South East region and beyond to enjoy some of Waterford’s beautiful natural assets.
The Munster Express spoke to Jaybees Bakery and Shop in Ballinakina on the Dunmore East Road, to see if the sun has indeed brought a boost in business. Jaybees is run by Waterford’s Amish-Mennonite community and has provided Waterford with 99s and sweet treats for decades.
When asked if the current sunshine brought a boom in business, Mayre from Jaybees laughed and said, “Yes, it’s very good, very busy. I think it’s definitely more constant”.
“The sun is great; everyone is in a good mood.”
The carpark at Counsellors’ Strand Dunmore Beach Co Waterford was over flowing over the weekend due to the warm weather.
Thousands descended on the West of the county to enjoy the much lauded Comeraghs Wild Festival in weekend sunshine, meanwhile, on the opposite side of the county, the annual Beat the Ferryman open water swim across the Waterford Estuary, provided another successful, feel-good family event.
WATER SHORTAGE
While it may be tempting to treat this sunny spell as unprecedented and notably un-Irish occurrence, it has become increasingly common. According to Met Eireann, 2025 had the hottest summer ever recorded in the country. 2026 looks well on the way to challenge that record. So much so that parts of Waterford have begun to implement measures to conserve water.
A notice issued by Uisce Eireann on Monday implemented nighttime restrictions in parts of Dungarvan to support the treated water reservoir and help protect the daytime supply to homes, businesses and essential services.
“Customers in Abbeyside, Ballinroad, Clonea, Caseyville and surrounding areas may experience low pressure or interruptions to their water supply between 11pm and 7am over the coming week
“In addition, some customers may experience localised outages while crews carry out essential leak repair works on the network. Customers are encouraged to sign up for Uisce Éireann’s free text alert service to receive updates on supply interruptions and repair works affecting their area.
“Low treated water reservoir levels and sustained high demand in the Dungarvan area mean night-time restrictions are required to help protect daytime water supplies for homes, businesses and essential services.
“Customers are being asked to play their part by conserving water wherever possible throughout the week. Small changes in daily water use can make a significant difference in protecting supply, supporting treated water reservoir recovery, and helping to maintain daytime water services for everyone in the area.”
It’s hoped that Waterford will not see further water restrictions as the dry spell continues.
Aaron Kent
