Bookies are now taking bets on torrential rain causing racing to be abandoned at the traditional Galway festival as Ireland experiences more downfalls.

The skies opened again on Wednesday morning as fed-up tourists woke to the news that rainfall in July was well above average.

August opened in similar disheartening fashion with weather forecasters warning there is more of the same to come after a horrible July.

Statistics released by Ireland’s weather service Met Eireann show that rainfall across the country in July was above average for the second month in a row.

Dublin city and county saw almost twice its normal monthly rainfall.

Only the western seaboard escaped the worst of the wet conditions, experiencing just 90pc of normal long-term averages for July precipitation.

The rest of Ireland recorded between 102pc and 186pc of July averages according to the Met Eireann figures.

The village of Johnstown Castle in Wexford recorded the highest daily rainfall for the month when 29.9mm of rain fell on July 6.

Temperatures in July were also at their coolest for more than a decade as mean temperature ranged from just 12.6C at Knock airport - its coolest since 1998 - 14.9C at Shannon Airport.

The Irish Independent reports that Malin Head in Donegal recorded its lowest mean temperature in 40 years.

July’s maximum temperatures, recorded at Roche’s Point and Sherkin Island in Cork, were the lowest since 1980 and 1994 respectively.

Average sunshine totals were also down nationwide with Dublin recording its dullest July since 2003 despite having more sunshine than anywhere else in the country.