Met Éireann has today (Monday, May 26) issued a Status Yellow advisory for potato blight across 13 counties.

The national meteorological service has said weather conditions conductive to the spread of potato blight will occur over the southern half of Ireland from midnight tonight until Wednesday morning (May 28).

The advisory currently applies to counties: Carlow; Clare; Cork; Kerry; Kildare; Kilkenny; Laois; Limerick; Offaly; Tipperary; Waterford; Wexford and Wicklow.

Met Éireann noted that there will be some limited opportunities for spraying this evening.

According to Teagasc, blight is still the most serious disease of potatoes in Ireland despite recent advances in fungicides, improved varieties and better disease forecasting.

There is still no means of eradicating an outbreak in a crop, meaning that disease prevention is key.

Potato blight is a disease caused by a fungus-like organism called Phytophthora infestans that spreads rapidly through the foliage and tubers of potatoes in warm, wet weather, causing collapse and decay.

Weather conditions which favour the spread of the disease occur when temperatures rise above 10°C and relative humidity rises above 95%.

The typical mild, damp Irish summer can provide the ideal conditions for the spread of the disease.

Teagasc has estimated that some €5 million is spent annually on fungicides in Ireland to mitigate against the disease.

Met Éireann has said that the coming week will bring more unsettled weather from the Atlantic.

Rainfall totals are expected to range between around 30mm to 70mm. This would correspond to between 200% and 400% of the climatological average.

The highest accumulations of rain are forecast for areas along the Atlantic coast.

Mean temperatures will be similar to last week, ranging from 11° to 14°, the warmest conditions are expected in the southwest. Soil temperatures are forecast to remain above average.

There will be rather poor drying conditions over the coming days due to spells of rain and showers.

Spraying opportunities will be limited over the coming week due to changeable and unsettled conditions.

Soil moisture deficits are currently above 30mm in many areas, resulting in growth being restricted.

Values will decrease over the coming week due to increasing amounts of rainfall with better growth. Most soil types will remain trafficable.