​Met Office figures are out: August was notably wetter-than-normal for Northern Ireland – especially in the west

Both Fermanagh and Tyrone experienced 48% more than the typical August rainfall last month (totalling 155.4mm and 152.2mm respectively), according to the Met Office.

As well as the total volume of water being up, it also rained about 25% more of the time than average, with rainfall on 19.4 days throughout the month.

Again, it was worse in the west: Co Tyrone had 20.6 days of rain, and Fermanagh had 20.4.

Temperature was about average for the month for the Province, but there were also 7% fewer hours of sunshine.

The soggy August has spelled headaches for some farmers, among them Crosby Cleland, a Co Down sheep farmer who has chaired a number of UFU committees.

He said that the waterlogged conditions have inhibited grass development – “straining” the grass and reducing its nutritional value.

At the same time, the wet conditions are a good breeding ground for parasites.

Both of these factors undermine the ability of the animals to grow.

"It’s put at least four to six weeks more costs into getting a finished lamb – as much as that,” he said.

"We keeping the same number, but we’re having to keep them longer.”

But he added: "We’re used to it. Life changes every year – there’s no predicted path in farming! We adjust to the weather and the circumstances we have to work with.”

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: "Generally climate projections show that we’ll see warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers.

"However this is an overall trend and we’ll continue to see years that don’t follow this trend due to natural variability year to year like we have this year.

"However as the atmosphere warms due to human-induced climate change it can hold more moisture, at a rate of around 7% more moisture for every degree of warming.

"This means that when it does rain it can be more intense."