Met Éireann has issued a three-day potato-blight warning for parts of the country, that will span the entire weekend.
The national meteorological service issued its warning today (July 27), stating that “weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight will occur across Ireland, mainly in the midlands, west, and southwest”.
The potato-blight warning is in place from Saturday (July 30) to Monday (August 1), inclusive.
However, there will be opportunities for spraying on Thursday (July 28).
In relation to drying conditions, the next few days will see moderate drying with largely dry conditions and just occasional showers, Met Éireann has reported.
It will turn more unsettled for the weekend with showers and longer spells of rain moving in, and bringing a deterioration in drying.
Field conditions are currently very dry across the country, with the far north being the exception – near saturation.
The driest soils are in Munster and Leinster with soil moisture deficits (SMDs) for all soil types there ranging from 40mm to 80mm, leading to restricted growth.
Field conditions in most areas will change very little in the coming week, with most soils remaining dry, particularly in the east. However, soils in the northwest and coastal parts of the west and southwest will decrease close to saturation.