Some like it hot – and if you do, then Ireland’s the place as temperatures soar.

Parts of the country were warmer than the Canary Islands on Thursday as the temperature gauge hit 16 degrees Celsius.(61 Fahrenheit)

The South of the country enjoyed the best of the Spring surge as balmy south-westerly winds swept inland.

Ireland’s weather service Met Eireann described temperatures of 15.5 degrees Celsius in Fermoy, County Cork, as ‘exceptionally high’.

Met Eireann also confirmed that temperatures in counties Wexford, Westmeath, Offaly and Kilkenny were all within a degree or two of the previous highest for February.

Arklow in County Wicklow hit 16 degrees, Waterford got as high as 15.9 and the gauge hit 15.8 in Enniscorthy, County Wexford.

In contrast, the traditional sunshine haven of Tenerife in the Canaries only topped 14 degrees.

The highest temperature recorded for February was in 1891 with 18.1C (65 Fahrenheit), recorded at the Phoenix Park in Dublin.