Rain to be banished but Irish Water may extend restrictions
It’s been one hell of a summer so far and, according to Met Éireann, we have not seen the back of the sunshine yet.
Despite some heavy showers over the past few days, rainfall accumulations will be small over the next couple of days with forecasters predicting that warmer weather will return by the end of the week, especially in the East and South.
Temperatures will start to climb tomorrow with less rain and more sun around, particularly in the East and the South, with temperatures expected to hit between 19 and 23 degrees.
Thursday will see more of the same but cloud will gradually start to thicken in the North and West, both of which could see some rain by the evening.
As for Friday, Met Éireann said there is some uncertainty with regard to how far south the rain will spread down over the country, but overall a cloudy and rather humid day for most with outbreaks of rain and drizzle in northern and western areas, turning light and patchy and increasingly confined to higher ground further south.
The weekend will be warm and humid in the main with temperatures into the mid-20s. Sunday looks like it could be the best day of the week.
The persistence of the sun means that those seeking a return to normal water conditions will have to wait a little longer.
Further water restrictions were introduced for the greater Dublin area from 10pm yesterday, with homes and businesses being hit with a reduced water supply every night between 10pm and 5am.
Similar nighttime restrictions are in place in other parts of the country and Irish Water has not ruled out extending these restrictions even further. The utility has said the recent rainfall is nowhere near enough to replenish the low levels of water supply brought about by the extended period of dry weather.
Meanwhile, the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government has confirmed to public service union Fórsa that the Government has no plans to end service level agreements (SLAs) between Irish Water and local authorities. The assurance came as unions prepare to meet the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) this Thursday to outline their concerns about the future ownership and operation of water services in Ireland.
However, the department did confirm that Irish Water is to be separated from its parent company Ervia.
Last month, Fórsa told the joint Oireachtas committee on housing, planning and local government that SLAs should continue, and that local authority staff should not be forced to transfer to a new entity. Unions also called for a referendum on the ownership of the public water system to take place this year.
