Potato blight advisory issued for parts of Ireland

Met Éireann, Ireland's national meteorological service, warned that weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight would affect many coastal regions, mainly in the west and south, as well as parts of the midlands.

The advisory remained in place until Tuesday (August 4). Potato blight is a plant disease caused by a fungal-like organism called Phytophthora infestans. The pathogen spreads rapidly in humid weather through the foliage of potatoes and tomatoes, causing the foliage to decay and infecting potato and tomato crops.

Farming commentary

In its latest farming commentary, Met Éireann said that breezier conditions could limit spraying opportunities for some, particularly along the west coast. The forecaster said spraying opportunities would become more limited from Sunday onwards, although some areas could still experience suitable conditions, with the greatest chance in the south-east.

Met Éireann:

"Soil moisture deficits ranged from 5 mm in the north and north-west to 93 mm in the east. Away from the north-west, ground was generally hard and there was restriction to growth. Over the following week, very little change was expected in soil moisture deficits, with the exception of the north-west where deficits were likely to decrease."

Weather outlook

Met Éireann forecast largely cloudy conditions with outbreaks of rain and drizzle, heaviest and most persistent in the south-west and west, while some eastern areas were expected to remain mostly dry.

Cloudy conditions with further outbreaks of rain and drizzle were forecast to continue overnight, with much of Leinster expected to remain largely dry. Temperatures were forecast to remain between 11°C and 16°C in light to moderate north-easterly winds.

The outlook also included scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle across much of the country, with some heavy and possibly thundery downpours developing later. The best chance of sunny spells was expected in the east and south-east.