Ireland’s 23-day drought triggers nationwide hosepipe ban until late August

The drought deepens

Met Éireann says 17 of its 25 monitoring stations are now in "absolute drought", defined as 15 or more consecutive days with 0.2mm or less of rainfall. Stations in the west and north, including Athenry and Malin Head, have been classified as having a "dry spell" (less than 1mm for 15 days) but not yet absolute drought. The longest ongoing dry runs are at Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford and Cork Airport, both at 23 days, while seven other stations, including Dublin Airport and the Phoenix Park, have recorded 22 days without meaningful rain. Moore Park in Co Cork saw its last rainfall of 5mm on 27 June, and Cork Airport on 30 June, with no substantial precipitation forecast until 1 August. The current spell is approaching the 25-day absolute drought recorded in summer 2018 and remains far from the record 33 days at Casement Aerodrome in 1986.

Nationwide hosepipe ban takes effect

From midnight on 24 July, a water conservation order prohibits all households from using hosepipes for washing cars, watering gardens, filling paddling pools or topping up fountains. The ban, which previously covered Dublin, south Tipperary and parts of Kildare, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow, now applies nationwide until 26 August. Uisce Éireann said the restrictions are needed to safeguard drinking water after weeks of hot, dry weather pushed demand well above normal. On warm days, consumption in the Greater Dublin Area alone reaches about 680 million litres, roughly 40 million litres above the year-to-date average. Groundwater sources are showing reduced yields or no yield at all, and nighttime restrictions are already in place on 53 of the roughly 700 public water supplies, mainly where local sources are under greatest pressure.

Wildfires and crop damage

The prolonged dry spell has sparked forest fires in counties Dublin, Wicklow, Kerry and Tipperary. The heat and lack of moisture are also hitting agriculture: high temperatures have slowed tuber bulking in potatoes, reducing yield potential especially on unirrigated land, and horticulture producers are also feeling the strain.

Simple ways to conserve water

Uisce Éireann is urging everyone to adopt small changes that can add up. It recommends filling a jug and keeping it in the fridge instead of running the tap until it runs cold, and notes that turning off the tap while brushing teeth saves up to six litres a minute. Garden hoses are a particular concern: using one for just an hour consumes more water than the average family uses in a day. The utility suggests using a watering can early in the morning or evening, covering paddling pools for reuse, and fixing dripping taps or leaking toilets. Margaret Attridge, Uisce Éireann’s head of water operations, thanked the public for efforts already made.

Everyday actions really do help, especially during busy summer periods when supplies can come under pressure.

What comes next

Met Éireann forecasts cooler, more unsettled weather over the weekend of 26 July, with some rain expected across much of the country. However, the next substantial rainfall for the driest south-eastern areas is not expected until 1 August. Even if conditions improve, Uisce Éireann warns that water supplies remain under severe stress and says the hosepipe ban will remain in place until late August, with the possibility of extension if drought conditions persist.