Irish authorities have imposed a six-week garden-hose ban after the country renowned for rainy weather experienced one of the driest springs on record and demand surged during the coronavirus lockdown.
Supplier Irish Water said the conservation order will last from Tuesday until July 21. It forbids the use of hoses to water lawns and gardens, wash cars or fill swimming pools.
Ireland's weather office, Met Eireann, says the country experienced its driest May since 1850. Some areas had the driest spring ever recorded, with the capital, Dublin, receiving less than a third of its usual spring rainfall.
Drier-than-normal weather is expected to continue into the summer.
Irish Water said usage has also spiked because more people have been staying home during a nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of the coronavirus.
The company said that as lockdown eases and businesses reopen, demand for water "is being exacerbated by warm weather and the widespread emergence of drought conditions".
Managing director Niall Gleeson said "safeguarding the supply of water is essential at this time when hand-washing and hygiene is of critical importance".
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