IRISH WATER SAYS outbreaks of rain over the coming days will not be enough to end the ongoing dry spell and see its month-long conservation order lifted.

According to Met Eireann’s five-day forecast, rain is expected across Ireland over the weekend, although showers are expected to be patchy at best.

An Irish Water spokeswoman told TheJournal.ie that the levels of rainfall that are forecast will not alleviate the country’s drought.

“The few drops we’re expecting will unfortunately be far from enough,” she said.

“Our stores have depleted dramatically and are going to be affected in the longer-term too, so there could be more shortages for months ahead.

“The weather at the moment definitely isn’t enough for supplies to recover to their normal rate.”

A national ban on the use of hosepipes came into effect on 6 July, and was originally expected to be lifted at midnight on 31 July.

However, Irish Water has not ruled out extending the conservation order into August.

“We’re monitoring the situation on a day-to-day basis,” the spokeswoman said.

“We don’t know yet whether that order is going to be extended, but we’ll make a decision closer to the time.”

Water sources are expected to remain depleted in coming weeks, and the utility previously warned that more shortages could occur over the next few months.

Members of the public are advised to continue conserving water and to report any leaks as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Cork County Council’s Water Conservation Management Team convened again this morning and thanked the public for their cooperation with water conservation measures to date.