Northern Ireland recorded its hottest day of the year on Monday as temperatures rose above 25C in parts of the region, with Armagh reaching 25.6C and Hillsborough hitting 25.5C. Belfast International airport briefly touched 25C before easing back to 23C, while Derry climbed to 20C earlier in the day before sea breezes pushed it back to 18C.

The warmth came after Sunday had already peaked at 25C, but Monday still edged ahead and delivered the highest reading of the year so far. It also fell short of Northern Ireland’s all-time May record of 28.3C, set at Lisburn in 1922, leaving the region warm but not record-breaking.

Greg Dewhurst said the spell of fine weather would continue through the week, starting with a slightly cloudier Tuesday. He said a weak weather front sinking south from Scotland could bring a little more cloud and perhaps an isolated spot of light rain very first thing in the morning, before the skies brightened again and sunny spells returned. He said temperatures would generally sit in the high teens to low 20s, with around 23C possible in the Armagh area.

Wednesday should stay mostly dry, with plenty of sunny spells and a south-easterly breeze. Dewhurst said Belfast may be around 19 or 20C, while the west could climb to 24 or 25C. Thursday is then expected to bring around 23C and a chance of an isolated shower, again with the highest values likely in the west. Friday should turn a little fresher as winds swing more westerly, bringing temperatures down to around 21 or 22C.

The bigger change arrives at the weekend, when fresher Atlantic air is expected to spread in and the chance of rain is set to increase through Saturday and possibly into Sunday. Even then, temperatures should stay relatively mild in the high teens and locally low 20s, so the brief burst of heat will give way to a more unsettled close to the week rather than a sharp end to the weather Belfast has enjoyed since the bank holiday period began.