Met Éireann has issued a yellow high temperature warning for parts of the country on Friday, 11 July and a nationwide warning for Saturday, 12 July.

Temperatures could exceed 27°C during the day and 15°C at night time.

This brings safety issues for people, animals and machinery.

The temperature warning also coincides with the busiest part of the winter barley harvest as most farmers with the crop prepare to harvest it over the weekend.

You need to keep hydrated and be sun smart with suncream, hats and sunglasses.

Machinery fire risk

Teagasc’s Dermot Forristal had this advice on how to reduce the risk of fire with machinery.

Dermot said: “The risk of fire to life or injury is paramount, but of course machines are at risk too, and in very dry hot periods, there is a real crop or straw loss risk.

“Combines and balers are the big fire risks at harvest, followed by tractors.”

“Machine bearing failure, friction from rubbing components, and electrical shorts are the main sources of ignition which find easy fuel in a dusty and possibly oily environment.

“Checking all mechanical components is important, particularly where the modern cab isolates us from the smells and sounds that can occasionally forewarn us of pending disaster. Regular cleaning is vital to keep the engine and hydraulics cool, but it also removes the 'kindling' that is crop residue, dust and/or oil,” Dermot explained.

Fire extinguishers

Dermot said that people should have a plan in case a fire does break out. “Fire extinguishers are a must, and all operators should have a plan/training for a fire event, which may include safely tackling small fires, but also a strategy to limit the damage by preventing it spreading to more machines (by detaching implements etc.) or spreading to the surrounding crop.”

Road vehicles in the field

“Be particularly careful with road vehicles in the field. Today's hot-running exhaust systems are a potential source of ignition. All diesels have DPF units in their exhaust which reach a temperature of 600°C during regeneration to burn off soot. If this is in contact with dry stubble/straw, there is a fire risk. Keep all vehicles on roadways, hard surfaces, grass fields or areas where there is adequate clearance between the under-body and a dry crop / stubble,” Dermot said.