Uisce Éireann appeals to public to go easy on water usagePeople told to make most of sunshine as cooler weather is forecast from Thursday
Met Eireann has said that temperatures of 17-26C will dominate this week again, bar the occasional shower.
However, the public has also been asked to conserve water. Twelve counties are now officially in “drought status”, with some water supplies subject to conservation orders as the extended dry spell continues.
Paul Harvey from Windyridge Garden Centre in Dun Laoghaire. Photo: Steve Humphreys
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – May 18th
Uisce Éireann has appealed to the public to help reduce water usage, in particular across counties Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Meath, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and Wexford.
These include three supplies in Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Milford, Co Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle in Co Meath, where water conservation orders have been in place since May 6.
Uisce Éireann said there are “no immediate plans” to extend the hosepipe bans to other areas.
Margaret Attridge, Uisce Éireann’s head of water operations, said: “Levels in many water sources are significantly lower than normal for this time of year following a dryer-than-average autumn, winter and spring.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has also issued a high fire-risk warning, with a status orange alert in place until midday on Tuesday.
Paul Harvey, of Windyridge Garden Centre in Dún Laoghaire, said: “We are having our best season yet due to the weather being so good since March.
From left: office workers Aoife McDonnell, Amy Brady and Daisy Murphy enjoy an ice cream on their lunch break at Grand Canal Dock in Dublin. Photo: Collins
“Our business lives or dies by the weather, but thankfully we have been very busy.
“We can’t keep up with the numbers of people looking for bedding plants, and suppliers can’t turn supplies around fast enough as they work six months in advance. The weather is everything to us.
“In weather like this everyone wants to be out in the garden. As it gets warmer, we are seeing a demand for hose pipes as it’s very important to keep freshly-planted plants watered.”
Retailer Currys said sales of fans has doubled across all stores in Ireland and online since the good weather started.
Other products selling fast are ice-cream or slushie makers, with Ninja Creami sales up 300pc, while smartwatches and fitness tracker brands such as Garmin and Fitbit are also proving very popular.
The Irish Farmers’ Association said “farmers are not panicking just yet” over the lack of rainfall.
“It’s probably still too early, but in another couple of weeks there may be issues. There has been a good bit of rain in between the dry spells. The east and south-east of the country will be the areas that could be affected worst if enough rain does not materialise,” the association said.
Linda Hughes, a forecaster with Met Éireann, said: “Heavy and thundery showers are still a possibility from Monday through to Wednesday.
“However, Thursday will herald a change as Atlantic temperatures will start to be felt so it will become cooler — but for now enjoy the good weather.”