Nationwide hosepipe ban is announced

IRISH Water has announced a nationwide hosepipe ban will come into effect at 8 a.m. on Friday and will remain in place until midnight on July 31 as a drought continues across the country.

In a statement, the firm said: “We thank the public for their conservation efforts so far and we urge them to continue to conserve water to help protect water supplies now and over the coming months

"Met Éireann advised that there has been little or no rain over the last 30 days, with an average soil moisture deficit of 60mm meaning even if it did rain, no water would reach our water sources for at least a week, as it will be absorbed by the ground."