Multiple counties have been issued with a potato blight warning as the changeable weather threatens crops. Ireland’s national meteorological service, Met Éireann, issued the environmental warning on May 27. The environmental warning says that “weather conditions conducive to the spread of potato blight”, is expected to affect early sown crops, the service announced.

Counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow are affected by the warning, meaning the threat to crops is so far focused in the east and east coast.

Blight disease is caused in potatoes by a fungus, which develops and rapidly spreads in warm, humid weather– which is what is in store for much of the country this weekend and into next week. Despite relatively high temperatures, the weather will remain cloudy and muggy with light showers, conditions the blight disease thrives in.