Overview
- Natural Resources Wales extended a drought declaration to cover the whole of Wales on Thursday after July totals fell to about 8% of the long-term average.
- Many Welsh rivers and groundwater stations are running exceptionally low, with officials reporting dried riverbeds, fish in distress, algal blooms and increased wildfire risk.
- NRW has begun targeted regulation and compensation releases from reservoirs, imposed abstraction controls under its drought plan, and is coordinating with the Environment Agency over cross-border rivers such as the Wye and Severn.
- Around half of England has also reached official drought status, bringing the UK total to roughly 31 million people affected and prompting hosepipe bans and limits on business and farm abstractions in several areas.
- Forecasters say short, isolated showers will not fix the deficit and meaningful recovery is likely to depend on sustained autumn rainfall while emergency services and farmers face continued strain from fires and low water supplies.