Met Éireann has issued a potato blight advisory across the country.

The advisory is now in effect from 4:00p.m today (Wednesday, June 3) and will remain in place until 11:00a.m on Thursday (June 4).

Weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight will develop in many areas.

Potato blight is a plant disease caused by a fungal-like organism called Phytophthora infestans.

The potato blight pathogen spreads rapidly in humid weather in the foliage of potatoes and tomatoes, causing the foliage to decay and the potato/tomato to be infected, Met Éireann said.

Met Éireann

In its latest farming commentary, Met Éireann said that the last week has brought drier than average conditions across most of the country.

The coming week will be more unsettled with above average rainfall forecast in all locations.

Drying conditions will be fairly poor at times throughout the week with spells of rain and showers.

There will be limited spraying opportunities during the coming week due to more frequent rainfall and blustery winds.

Soil moisture deficits for all soil types range from 10mm in parts of the south to 60mm in the east.

More unsettled conditions over the coming seven days will result in a general decrease in soil moisture deficits.