Rainfall levels so far in March have been higher across the south and east than in the north and west, a reversal of typical March weather. It’s a trend that is deeply worrying tillage farmers, as they are well in to traditional planting season.

Dublin Airport is already at 62mm, 10mm over the average for all of March. Oakpark in Carlow has received 42mm of rain in the first 12 days of March, two thirds of the monthly average. Meanwhile, Sherkin Island in West Cork has only received 28mm, little more than quarter the monthly average, with rainfall for the year-to-date there well below average. Newport in Mayo has only received one-third of average March rainfall, Finner less than one-fifth.

Temperatures reveal a similar pattern, with the west close to average, but the east well behind.

Sherkin Island has had an average temperature of 8.3°C across the first 10 days of March, just 0.1°C under the monthly average.