SUNNY SPELL WAS THE BERRY ON TOP FOR GROWERS

THE sunny spell is coming to an end - but has already produced the best start to a strawberry harvest in half a century.

- BY SEAN MURPHY

Farmers hailed a bumper crop thanks to two weeks of wall-to-wall sunshine across the country.

Met Eireann yesterday issued warnings to 10 counties for thunderstorms that ended last night - but the threatened return to rain has not been lifted.

The forecast is for Friday night to see “persistent rain" and then, on Saturday, “rain in most areas”, with Sunday to bring “scattered showers”.