WET WET WET

More rain is bad news for farmers

IRELAND is facing a washout over the coming days with the country lashed by heavy downpours which are expected to bring more misery for embattled farmers.

The relentless rain prompted organisers to cancel the final day of the Fairyhouse racing yesterday.

And farmers say they are running out of food to feed their cattle.

Met Eireann’s Liz Walsh said low pressure is expected to bring “unsettled conditions throughout this week”, while temperatures are set to plummet tonight in some areas. The forecaster added: “It [the low pressure system] has now migrated northwards up over Connacht, northern parts of Leinster and up into Ulster now.

“Some of that rain is quite heavy and persistent. So if you’ve got low pressure dominating, you’ve got showery outbreaks, it basically means rain and the probability of rain is high.

“For Wednesday it’s another very changeable and varied picture across the country with temperatures cooler for some of us at between 5C and 9C.

“The best of the sunshine will start out in the west and we’ll have rain in the east and southeast.

“I think the general trend was the southern half of the country is getting a lot of rain this week but that doesn’t mean that the northern half won’t.” Speaking about the outlook for famers, Ms Walsh said: “It’s not great. Soils are either saturated or if you’re poorly drained they’re water-logged.” Independent TD Mattie Mcgrath urged Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to “urgently clarify what additional measures he is taking in order to offset the crippling fodder crisis.”

Lowest temperature forecast for today as rain lashes country