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Mourne Mountains: Firefighters deal with large gorse fire in Hilltown

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A large gorse fire broke out in the Mourne Mountains on Sunday

Firefighters have extinguished a large gorse fire in the Mourne Mountains on Sunday.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said eight pumping engines and 64 firefighters were dispatched to the incident in Hilltown.

People are still being asked to avoid the area as firefighters remain on the scene.

NIFRS said crews would stay in the area to damp down and "resolve the incident safely".

It comes as temperatures in the Hilltown area and around the Mournes climbed above 20C on Saturday.

A thunderstorm warning has been issued for Northern Ireland on Sunday as the sunny weather begins to break.

A rainfall alert has also been issued for Monday and Tuesday.