Carlow was the hottest spot in the country on Wednesday

The highest temperature on Wednesday was recorded in Carlow.

According to official temperatures from Met Eireann the mercury hit 29.2 degrees at its weather station in Oak Park.

And it seems Kilkenny wasn’t too far behind – Niall Dollard’s weather station in the city recorded 28.7 degrees celsius on Wednesday.

Today could be even hotter as a weather alert comes into effect this morning until Sunday.

Highs of up to 30 degrees are expected during the day, with overnight temperatures unlikely to drop below 15 or 16 degrees.

The Department of Agriculture has issued an orange fire warning for the coming days.