LAST UPDATE | 11 Apr

THE HEAVY RAINFALL over the last month has caused disruption for farmers in Ireland – with more rain in sight on the weather forecast.

The Journal is interested in hearing from farmers about their experiences of the recent wet weather. Has it affected your farm? Have you noticed a difference compared to previous years? Are there any supports you think should be introduced to help?

If you have a story to share, please contact The Journal by email through answers@thejournal.ie and describe your experience in a paragraph or two (around 200-250 words). Let us know your first name (or tell us if you’d prefer to be anonymous) and the county you’re based in.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has said the wet weather has caused a “deepening crisis” on farms and that the tillage sector is “at breaking point”.

Rainfall was above average in most of the country last month. The highest daily rainfall total anywhere in the country was 45.3mm at the Dublin Airport weather station on Thursday, 1 March – its highest daily rainfall for March on record.

It’s not just Ireland. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service’s latest monthly report published this morning that March was wetter than average in most of western Europe. It was also the tenth month in a row to see record-breaking average global temperatures as climate change escalates.

Met Éireann has previously warned that both temperatures and rainfall have increased in Ireland over recent decades. “We know that the atmosphere is warming and what we’re seeing at the local and national scale fits the international picture,” said Met Éireann Climatologist and Project Lead Mary Curley.

The week ahead is expected to be unsettled with frequent showers and rain and some heavy downpours, with rainfall amounts to be between one and three times higher than normal. The wettest conditions are expected in the west and northwest.

Contact answers@thejournal.ie if you’re a farmer to share your experience of the recent wet weather.