Uisce Éireann has issued an urgent warning to households across the country as Ireland prepares for a series of mini heatwaves this weekend. 

The country has been hit with bizarre and unpredictable weather this summer, with a series of heavy showers followed by mini heatwaves. 

Met Éireann has now forecast the weather to remain warm this weekend, with highs of 16 to 22C predicted across Saturday and Sunday.

It has also said that intermittent showers will continue. 

Now, Irish Water is urging Irish people to look at the bigger picture and conserve water throughout the rest of the summer.

It is calling on households to play their part as it claims that sharp rises in temperatures could trigger water shortages. 

While the national body admitted that a wetter winter did allow most reservoirs and groundwater sources to recover from drier conditions of the past few years, it stressed there is no guarantee this summer will be trouble-free. 

Uisce Éireann is now asking that households consider opting for showers rather than baths, use watering cans over hosepipes when gardening and ensure that homes are free from leaks in order to preserve water. 

During the brief record-breaking heatwave in May, water consumption across Dublin hit an unprecedented level, with nearly 685 million litres used every single day, according to Cork Beo. 

Irish Water has described this level of consumption during a heatwave as ‘unsustainable’.

Meanwhile, a recent survey found that almost one-third of the Irish public don’t pay attention to water conservation. 

The survey, conducted by Uisce Éireann, found that 31% of the 1,003 people asked how much attention they paid to conserving water described themselves as ‘unengaged’.

Uisce Éireann’s Head of Water Operations, Margaret Attridge, has stressed the importance of conserving water in the summer months. 

‘While reservoirs, rivers and groundwater sources recovered earlier this year, that does not guarantee water security for all areas in the months ahead. Our water system continues to face challenges from rising demand, and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns,’ she said. 

Uisce Éireann has confirmed that it will continue to keep an eye on water supplies across the country and is implementing a number of proactive measures in some smaller areas that it hopes will help to minimise disruptions.