Grass growth is 10 days behind normal in eastern counties, according to Met Eireann.
It says latest data shows soil moisture deficits ranging from 20mm in the west to 50mm and could rise further in the east to 60mm with more dry weather forecast this week.
According to Met Eireann while air temperatures have been below average above average sunshine levels has brought soil temperatures to 15-19 degrees. It says this is about 2 degrees above normal for the time of year.
Soil Temperature at Moorepark, 17.2°C at 10 cm #dryingup
— PastureBase Ireland (@PastureBase) June 23, 2015
Dry weather to continue
Latest forecasts from Met Eireann suggest dry weather is likely to continue through the week and over the weekend.
Some rain is forecast for eastern areas tomorrow. Met Eireann says there will be few bright or short sunny spells in eastern areas at first tomorrow, but generally cloudy and misty, with rain and drizzle in most places, persistent at times.
However, it also says a clearance to drier, brighter weather, in western coastal areas, in the early afternoon, will extend countrywide later in the afternoon and evening.
Thursday is set to be a dry day for many parts of the country with sunny spells, especially in the morning, however it will be cloudier in western areas with some scattered outbreaks of rain developing in the west and north later. The rain will become more widespread overnight, but amounts are likely to be small.
It will be rather cloudy to start on Friday morning, with rain at first, but brighter weather will develop during the morning in the west, and extend to all areas by afternoon temperatures similar to Thursday with moderate south to southwest winds.
Most places will be dry while showers will affect western coasts, but there’ll be spells of sunshine elsewhere.
At this stage Met Eireann says Sunday and the early days of next week will continue in much the same way, temperatures near normal for the time of year, moderate southwesterly winds and mainly fair weather.
