Driest March for years as stock go out to grass

MARCH 2022, ushered in one of our most benign Spring months for decades with high temperatures, loads of sunshine and a very low rainfall amount.

Coming after a wet February – most places in the West had six to seven inches of rain during our second month – March saved the day with high-pressure the dominant influence.

The drying out of the ground and vegetation led to Met Éireann issuing an orange fire alert last week in high-risk areas such as dead grass, gorse and heather locations.

Abbeyknockmoy weather recorder, Brendan Geraghty, said that through the first 28-days of the month, he had recorded only 1.6 inches of rainfall with most of that coming on the two days of March 6 and 12.

“It has turned out to be one of our driest Marches for many, many years and this good spell of weather certainly comes at a welcome time for farmers after a very wet February.

“Land has really dried up over the last week or so and it comes at a great time for farmers as they prepare to let stock out onto the land,” said Brendan Geraghty.

He said that the only March of recent times which came close to the dryness of this one was 2018 with just under two inches of rainfall – although that month will be remembered for the snows of Storm Emma from February 28 to March 4.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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