Summer scorcher set to continue

OUR Summer ‘scorcher’ looks set to continue until mid-week when temperatures are predicted to return to more normal values – but even then, there’s little prospect of any significant rainfall arriving.

On Tuesday, a temperature high of 28.8° Celsius was recorded at the Met Éireann station in Athenry making it the second hottest place in Ireland, beaten only by Shannon where the mercury reached 29.3°C.

The 2018 Summer heatwave – that could yet see the 30° temperature mark reached tomorrow (Friday) – is now however a cause of concern for farmers and for Irish Water, with parched soils and shrinking rivers a feature of the landscape.

“The pinch is really being felt over the past week or so with grass supplies dwindling as the ground dries up. Some parts of the county seem to be worse hit than others but we are getting reports back of dairy farmers and some livestock farmers being under serious pressure for grass,” said Roy O’Brien of Galway IFA.

He said that while first cuts of silage were good both in terms of quality and quantity, the main problem now centred on the re-growth of the grass, either for grazing or for those farmers hoping to get a ‘second cut’ in late Summer.

Earlier this week, Met Éireann, issued a yellow weather alert in relation to high temperatures up until late Friday evening predicting that maximum temperatures in Galway ‘were likely to exceed 27° Celsius’.

“Top temperatures are likely to reach 28° to 30° degrees Celsius, or locally a little higher. Temperatures may be slightly lower on the coast if a sea breeze develops during the afternoon,” Met Éireann state.

Roy O’Brien has also asked farmers and their families to be mindful of the dangers posed by the strong sun and excessive heat of recent days.

“There is a very high UV (ultra-violet) index and we really talking about intense periods of heat during this current heatwave. Farmers need to protect themselves against that – the link between sunburn and skin cancer is proven so it is a time to be very careful in terms of exposure to the sun,” he said.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.