Ireland is experiencing an absolute drought, Met Éireann has confirmed. 

The definition of absolute drought is a period of 15 days or more when there is less than 0.2m of rainfall on each day. 

Showers are expected over the weekend in places but climatologist Paul Moore said it is unlikely to be enough to fully restore land and improve water supplies.

“It takes a lot more to actually bring the soil deficit up,” he said. 

“The ground will still be dry with a few millimetres of rain but the absolute drought might finish.” 

MB0CC5 A herd of angus cattle drinking water on a sunny summer day.

Dairy farmer Jim Mullhall in Kilkenny said many farmers have learned to build up fodder reserves, as they deal with ever more frequent regular extreme weather events.

“It seems that droughts are becoming part of the parcel of Irish weather,” he said. 

“So, a lot of people would have plans in place up to this to build a reserve [of fodder]... Growth has slowed a slow bit [but] it hasn’t crashed.” 

An absolute drought occurs in Ireland on average once every three years. 

In Clonakilty, County Cork and Cashel, County Tipperary, night time restrictions and pressure reduction has been put in place to protect supplies. 

Main image: Dead grass in West Cork, Ireland. Picture by: Alamy.com