Put your hose away.
Irish Water has confirmed that the nationwide hosepipe ban will be extended to August 31. Ireland's recent heatwave and lack of rainfall have led to conditions that have also forced the water authority to reduce overnight water in Dublin for the next two weeks.
The ban was originally intended to run through the month of July, but it has now been confirmed that water levels will remain critical for longer than originally thought.
It is now the view of the water engineering experts within Local Authorities and Irish Water that the situation will remain critical up to and possibly beyond mid-August.
Irish Water has further warned that the most severe conditions continue to be in the east and south, where the rivers, lakes and groundwater tables are at record lows.
Earlier on Friday, Met Éireann issued a Yellow Level weather warning for rain in 16 counties — nevertheless, the brief rainfall will not be sufficient to offset the losses that have accumulated over the past weeks and months.
