Irish Times: News and Updates from Martyn Turner and Jacqui Browne.

Temperatures of 29 degrees recorded on Friday as heat warning extended into Sunday. Flipped fuel cutoff switches starved engines of crashed Air India jet, according to a report. Cian McPhillips and Andrew Coscoran take impressive wins at Morton Games. Trump visits Texas to assess damage from floods. James Clarke bags a brace for Bohemians to climb to second place. A 12-year-old girl dies after getting into swimming difficulties in Co Tipperary.

Heatwave Continues in Ireland

The Irish weather has been characterized by a prolonged period of extremely warm temperatures, with record-breaking heat forecast for the coming weekend. On Friday, the Phoenix Park recorded a top temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, followed by Oak Park in Co Carlow (28.2 degrees) and Grange in Dunsany (28 degrees). Saturday is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far, with Met Éireann forecasting temperatures of 32 degrees in Dublin and similar values in the south Leitrim/north Roscommon area [1]. Temperatures of 30 degrees are possible in many parts of the midlands, while the south, particularly Cork and Kerry, will experience temperatures below 25 degrees. The Department of Agriculture has issued a condition red forest fire warning due to the high risk of wildfires, advising residents to be cautious with open flames and barbecues [1].

Air India Crash Investigation

A preliminary report into the Air India crash last month has revealed that fuel to the plane's engines was shut off just seconds after the plane lifted off. The fuel cutoff switches for both engines went from the "RUN" position to the "CUTOFF" position within one second, starving the engines of fuel. The cockpit voice recording indicates that one pilot asked the other why the cutoff switch was hit, and the other pilot responded that he did not do so [3]. The fuel flow was restored shortly after, but the plane crashed due to insufficient time for the automatic restart sequence. The incident, which resulted in 260 deaths, is currently under investigation [3].

Texas Flooding Disaster

In the United States, central Texas has been devastated by flash flooding, with the death toll rising from 27 to 32. Rescuers are still searching for dozens of missing people, including many from a girls' summer camp. The sheriff’s office in Kerr County reported that more than 800 people had been evacuated, and the US National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the broader region. The flooding occurred after thunderstorms dumped as much as a foot of rain, causing rapid and catastrophic flooding along the Guadalupe river [2]. President Donald Trump visited the affected areas to assess the damage and expressed his support for the families impacted by this tragedy [2].

Sports and Local News

In other news, Cian McPhillips and Andrew Coscoran took impressive wins at the Morton Games, while James Clarke bagged a brace for Bohemians, helping them climb to second place in the league. Tragically, a 12-year-old girl died after getting into swimming difficulties in Co Tipperary [1].

References

[1] https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/07/11/ireland-weather-very-warm-conditions-to-continue-but-cloud-with-rain-will-build-from-sunday/
[2] https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/07/05/texas-flooding-latest-updates/
[3] https://abcnews.go.com/International/fuel-switches-air-india-flight-cut-off-moments/story?id=123688453