Ireland’s drought could be over: showers forecast for Wednesday

The drought could be ending, according to Met Éireann, which has forecast scattered showers across the country by the end of the week, after more than 20 days without significant rain.

Met Éireann says that by Wednesday showers will spread across the northern half of the island, which will have top temperatures of 17-20 degrees in the coming days. Over Munster and south Leinster top temperatures will reach 21-23 degrees. Winds will be light northeasterly and moderate near coasts.

Thursday will have sunny spells and be mostly dry, with just a few showers likely. Temperatures will reach 18-23 degrees in light northerly or variable breezes.

Friday will be another mostly dry day, with some sunny spells, but a few showers are still likely. Temperatures will reach the low to mid-20s in light variable breezes.

Seán Gallagher asks councils to help candidates contest presidency

---

Reliance on gas could stop Ireland meeting global warming targets

---

Irish 'breeder' girls sent to Australia during Famine to be honoured

---

Further disorder in Derry as 25 petrol bombs thrown overnight

---

Temperatures are forecast to reach 24 degrees on Saturday, which is likely to start mostly dry, with sunny spells or hazy sunshine; cloud will increase from the west, with scattered showers spreading eastwards later and overnight. Winds will become light to moderate southwest to westerly.

Sunday will be somewhat cloudier, with outbreaks of showery rain in light to moderate southwesterly winds.

Water limits

But Irish Water has warned that it may still need to restrict supplies for the rest of the year; executives at the utility company met on Monday to discuss the possibility of imposing further limits in addition to the introduction of a national hosepipe ban.

The vast majority of the country officially entered a state of absolute drought last week, with no rainfall recorded at 24 out of 25 weather stations over a two-week period.

Amid the drought, Ulster Bank announced it would set up a €15 million fund, from which farmers affected by the weather can apply for credit. Applications for the fund open on Monday, July 16th.

Farmers facing cash flow problems due to higher feed costs and fodder shortages, as a result of the extreme weather, can apply to the fund.

Dublin Fire Brigade have warned motorists to avoid parking their cars directly over grass, as there is a risk the exhaust pipe could ignite the dry vegetation.

A spokesman for the fire service cautioned motorists: “Your car’s exhaust pipe gets extremely hot and can cause dry grass to catch fire.” There has been one report of a car exhaust pipe starting a fire on a grass verge it was parked on in Wexford, which destroyed the car, the spokesman said.

Air Corps

Meanwhile, Air Corps helicopters have been deployed across the Border to assist fire fighters in Northern Ireland who are tackling a gorse fire two miles from the Border, in the Slieve Gullion area of Co Armagh.

The involvement of the Defence Forces was welcomed by Doug Beattie, Ulster Unionist Party MLA for Upper Bann, who tweeted his thanks to the Air Corps, describing their role as “neighbours being neighbourly”.

Two helicopters were involved following a request from the Northern Ireland Fire Service. One helicopter is capable of dropping 1,200 litres of water per run over the area, and the second helicopter assisted directing operations.

This was the first time the Air Corps had helped a fire-fighting operation in Northern Ireland, said a spokesman for the Defence Forces.

Air Corps units have “assisted in cross-Border operations during severe weather occurrences, providing helicopter cargo slinging operations to drop fodder to livestock in isolated areas”, the spokesman said.

Helicopter units have assisted on search and rescue missions across the Border in the past as well.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tweeted it was “good to see the Irish Air Corps helping a neighbour”, adding that units were on standby for any further requests for assistance.

Minister of State for Defence Paul Kehoe said it was a “great example” of the Defence Forces working with their Northern Irish counterparts, “to protect communities”.