Weather warning for heat and thunderstorms

These kids were able to cool off at Seapark in Holywood, County Down, on Wednesday

High temperatures across Northern Ireland on Wednesday are expected to lead to some thundery downpours overnight.

A Met Office weather warning for thunderstorms has been issued from midnight on Wednesday until 22:00 BST on Thursday.

The alert comes as a third heatwave takes hold with temperatures in the mid-to-high twenties for some on Wednesday.

Wednesday saw temperatures climb to 28.1C at the Giant's Causeway - that's around 10C above average for the time of year.

Swimmers took the plunge at Bangor marina on Tuesday

While most places are expected to avoid thunderstorms altogether, where they do occur there could be some disruption.

A few spots could see between 20-40mm of rain in less than an hour, with the additional hazard of hail and lightning.

Thursday is expected to see temperatures drop by a few degrees, to around 19C on the coast and 22C inland.

Those temperatures will nudge a degree or two higher on Friday before climbing again to around the mid-twenties on Saturday and Sunday.

In the Republic of Ireland a warning for thunder has been issued across Kerry, Clare, and Limerick on Wednesday.

The alert lasts from 15:00 (local time) until 21:00 with a risk of flooding, travel disruption, and lightning damage.