Summer's arrived - in February! Temperatures close to smashing records today

Today's balmy sunshine across Co Kildare and elsewhere could be close to breaking all-time temperature records for February.

Some car thermometers were showing 18.5 degrees before lunchtime.

And in meteorological terms, February is still technically Winter as Spring doesn't start until March 1.

Highest Temperature 

The highest ever February temperature recorded in Ireland was over 130 years ago - 18.1 degrees on February 23, 1891 at Casement Aerodrome in Dublin.

Yesterday was also a very mild day and the highest temperature reached was 17.3 degrees, in Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon - but today's levels could reach higher.

Met Eireann told the Irish Times that temperatures reached exactly 18 degrees in 2012 - the second warmest February day ever recorded in Ireland.

Records were broken in the UK yesterday with a top temperature of 20.6 degrees at Trawsgoed in Wales.

Cold and wind on the way 

Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts as Friday will see temperatures drop to 11 degrees with showers and winds of 50 to 70 km/hr.

Temperatures will fall further on Saturday and Sunday, according to Irish Weather Online experts.

Monday and Tuesday of next week will see wintry showers in places.