The east of the country is being most impacted by climate change, with a tendency towards drought and above average warming in parts, a leading climate change scientist has said.

Professor Conor Murphy from the Irish Climate Analysis and Research Unit (ICARUS) in Maynooth University said the east and southeast of Ireland have among the highest trends towards drought in Europe.

Speaking at a Teagasc Signpost webinar, Murphy added that the summer of 2018 showed how vulnerable Irish agriculture is to drought.

“The trend that we see in drought risk in Ireland is towards more severe drought, particularly in summer. That’s among the largest trends anywhere in Europe.

“The largest trends towards more severe drought are happening around the southeast and south of Ireland, in a European context,” he said.

Murphy added that suggestions Ireland won’t be as affected as other countries by climate change due to its Atlantic location are untrue.

“[Weather stations at] Phoenix Park, Glasnevin, Dublin, Armagh and Birr, they’re rising by more than 1°C for every 1°C rise in global temperature.

“Often you might hear the fact that the temperature rise in Ireland won’t be as great because of the fact that we are in the Atlantic Ocean, that our climate is modified by that, or our temperature rise is dampened by that.

“Some parts of Ireland, particularly the eastern half of the country, are warming at a rate that’s greater than the global average,” he said.

Murphy, whose work includes extensive climate change analysis and modelling, said there has been a big decrease in cool days and cool nights, while warm days and warm nights are increasing.

Spring is the season that has seen the greatest level of weather change, the professor added.