Rainfall levels are back 65% for the year to date across much of the south, prompting serious drought conditions.

Grass growth rates have plummeted as a consequence, with dairy processors reporting reduced milk supplies.

Met Éireann’s Cork Airport weather station has recorded just 35% of typical annual rainfall, while 41% of usual annual rainfall has fallen to date in Johnstown Castle in Co Wexford.

Over the last three years, the average rainfall figure for Johnstown Castle in August is 94mm, but this year just 32mm fell, which is 66% below average.

Total rainfall at Moorepark was just 45% of normal levels.

Just 27mm of rain has fallen in Moorepark this August, while the average rainfall here for the last three years is 103mm. This is almost 73% below average.

Met Éireann said on Wednesday that the “past week was substantially drier than average with most stations recording less than 20% of their typical rainfall for the time of year.

“The driest stations were Cork Airport and Shannon Airport, with each recording a total of just 1mm (5% of average).

Drought impact for dairy sector

Milk supply in the past week to Glanbia, to be called Tirlán in future, was running 2% behind the same period last year.

“Across large parts of the Glanbia Ireland catchment area, dry weather is having a significant impact on grass growth and as a result milk supply,” a spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.

This is particularly the case across Tipperary, Kildare, Wexford and parts of Kilkenny and Waterford, the spokesperson added.

“There’s a huge section of our cow country in bother. Instead of building covers, farmers are trying to find grass to graze,” ICMSA deputy president Denis Drennan said.

The common fear, the Kilkenny dairy farmer said, is now they’ve started feeding silage, will an opportunity arise where they can stop between this and next March.

Catherine Colfer, Teagasc adviser in the southwest Wexford area said: “There’s little or no grass going into cows’ diets down here. Cows are just going outside to lie down.”