Six-week hosepipe ban in parts of Ireland

A hosepipe ban kicks in for parts of the country from Thursday morning

The country is edging towards a hosepipe ban, with people already being asked to conserve water where they can as high temperatures are set to continue over the coming weeks.

A status yellow high temperature warning is in place for counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Mayo until Wednesday morning.

Met Éireann said this would see maximum temperatures of over 27C, with overnight minimum temperatures of at least 15C, and warned that this will lead to heat stress, water safety issues, forest fires and uncomfortable sleeping conditions.

Meteorologist Rebecca Cantwell said “the end is not near, as of yet” and that the “good weather keeps on coming”, adding that areas of high pressure could continue into next week.

She told RTÉ there could also be further warnings issued later in the week.

Uisce Éireann’s regional operations senior manager Stephen Burke said it was initially primarily concerned with supplies in the greater Dublin area, meaning Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and parts of Meath.

He said the company said it is “increasingly concerned” now about parts of Wexford, south Tipperary, east Limerick, west Cork, west Kerry, north Donegal, mid Galway, and south Mayo due to record high demand for drinking water.

Mr Burke advised people to conserve water where they can, through activities such as avoiding watering the garden and taking shorter showers.

He said this would avoid the introduction of a hosepipe ban, aka a water conservation order, though he admitted it was “increasingly likely” this would be introduced.

The HSE has advised people to be aware of the increased risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and sunburn.