Wettest May in over 15 years recorded in Cork and Kerry
Because of the above average rainfall in May, silage contractors are now under pressure to make up for lost time. Picture: Andy Gibson.
Cork and Kerry have recorded their wettest May in years according to Met Eireann.
Cork’s last wettest May occurred in 1981, while rainfall to the extent of May 2021 hasn’t been recorded in Co Kerry since 2006.
And the adverse weather conditions of last month have had a negative impact on the agri industry, according to Senator Tim Lombard, who spoke recently in the Dail on the matter.
He said that because of heavy rainfall last month, “May 2021 will be recorded as being the wettest May ever”.
“The rainfall has had knock-on effects on the agricultural community because, traditionally, ten or 11 days of silage cutting would have been completed.
“As there is now a backlog, the month of June will be very busy.”
Senator Lombard also highlighted his concerns around farm safety over the next few months and called for a dedicated campaign to raise awareness.
“In the last decade, with machinery and farm accidents, and particularly with machinery, 118 people were killed of which 13 were minors,” he added.
“Safety on farms is a real worry because there is going to be real pressure on contractors.
“Farmers need to realise that silage has always been cut, and that although the work may be ten, 12 or 14 days behind they do not need to put their contractors under so much pressure.
“We do not need to put everyone in society under so much pressure, and we do not need to start talking about working 24 hours a day because we know that fatalities happen when people make mistakes.
“I do not want to see a peak in farm fatalities between the end of May and into the month of June due to pressure being placed on contractors.
“Therefore, we need a campaign to combat a potential spike.”
Meanwhile, Met Eireann confirmed that rainfall was “above average” across the entire country for May.
“May was a cool and wet month everywhere with persistent and slow moving troughs of low pressure over Ireland for much of the month,” a spokesperson continued.
“This brought organised bands of rain across the country on several occasions, interspersed with showers, many of which were heavy, with numerous reports of hail and thunder throughout the month.
“Rainfall was above average everywhere, especially in the South and East and all rainfall totals were above their Long-Term Average (LTA) for the month.”
Percentage of monthly rainfall values ranged from 108% - the month's lowest monthly rainfall total of 83.2mm - at Finner, Co Donegal to 241% - monthly rainfall total of 151.8mm - at Roche's Point, Co Cork, its wettest May on record.
Monthly rainfall totals were as much as 174.0mm - 186% of its LTA - at Valentia Observatory, Co Kerry, its wettest May since 2006.
The highest daily rainfall total was 30.9mm at Moore Park, Co Cork on May 20, its highest daily fall for May on record.
Cork had its wettest May since 1981.
