The drought conditions are set to get worse, and the country is now on high alert for wildfires.

Remember on Friday, when the weather seemed to dip ever-so-slightly, and the entire country got down on its hands and knees and apologised for taking the sun for granted? Well, it looks like our "prayers" have been "answered", depending on how you feel about the situation... Met Éireann have extended the national weather warning, and it is now set to remain in place until midnight on Wednesday 11 July. They said that "The mostly dry and warm weather will continue across Ireland for the rest of this week and through next week as well, thus exacerbating drought conditions." Meanwhile, the folks at Midland Weather Channel have announced the following: "The remarkable dry spell experienced across the country over the past number of weeks looks set to continue for at least another 10 days, with all areas recording above normal temperatures and sunshine totals, while rainfall is simply not expected at all. "A status red warning for forest fires certainly remains in place right across the country. A message of thanks is extended also to the fire services, the army, and Coillte, for their efforts in controlling the wildfire in the Slieve Bloom Mountains over the past couple of days. "Farming conditions are expected to remain severely restricted over the coming weeks due to the lack of growth caused by near-record temperatures and soil moisture deficits in excess of 90 mm in many areas." So do keep in mind the current water restrictions, as well as the high UV and pollen warnings set in place, because we've got at least another week of solid sun on the way.