- North Wales and the Upper Severn have officially declared a drought, making it the first UK region to do so amidst record dry conditions, intense heatwaves, wildfires, and dwindling river levels.
- Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the Welsh Government’s environmental agency, triggered the drought status following continued hot, dry weather, with July on course to be the driest for Wales in nearly 190 years.
- The severe conditions, attributed to human-caused climate change, have led to widespread impacts including hosepipe bans affecting 23 million customers in England, numerous wildfires across the UK, and exceptionally low river flows and groundwater levels in Wales.
- All of Wales is now either in drought or prolonged dry weather status, with NRW highlighting significant environmental pressures such as impacts on wildlife, fisheries, farming, and sensitive habitats.
- While water companies report healthy reservoir levels, NRW is urging the public to use water wisely to protect natural resources, as forecast rainfall for the coming days is not expected to be sufficient to replenish supplies significantly.
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