A drought has been declared for all of south and mid-Wales from today (August 25) due to "the extended period of dry weather", Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has confirmed. A drought had previously been announced for parts of the country last week, but this has now been extended.
This extension comes as a response to the pressures high temperatures and the lack of significant rainfall has placed on river levels, reservoirs and the environment across Wales.
The areas affected by this recent drought warning include Upper Severn, Wye, Usk, Valleys (Taff, Ebbw, Rhymney, Ely) and Vale of Glamorgan (Thaw).
Read more: Distraught fishermen finding dozens of salmon dead in the Wye river during extreme heat
According to NRW, as of 22 August, Wales has received 30.8% of the long-term average rainfall for August as a whole (ranging from 15.2% in Pembrokeshire to 53.8% in Conwy). This comes following the driest five-month period in 40 years which saw Wales received just 61% of its expected rainfall between March and July.
NRW’s South East Wales drought management area has seen 26.3% of the monthly average rainfall with the Upper Severn receiving 25.7%.
Alongside the areas officially in drought, North Wales and the rest of Mid Wales remains in prolonged dry weather status. NRW say they are continuing to monitor other parts of Wales closely where concerns for low flows and the environment still remain.
Natalie Hall, Sustainable Water Manager for NRW, said in announcing the extension: “The prolonged period of dry and hot weather has seen our natural environment placed under extreme pressure.
“With little in the way of significant rainfall in the forecast, and with the impact the ongoing situation is having on the very ecosystems we all depend on, we have taken the decision to move the South East of Wales and parts of Mid Wales into drought status from today.
“With South West Wales already in drought, we’re keeping a close eye on the situation in North Wales and the rest of Mid Wales. We remain in regular contact with water companies, local authorities and other partners regarding any emerging impacts on the environment, agriculture, and water supplies right across Wales, and will not hesitate to take any further action as needed.”
NRW say their work with Environment Agency (EA) in England to monitor cross-border environmental impacts impacted their decision. The EA moved the West Midlands into drought status earlier this week. They said that given the visible impacts of the dry weather on the Wye and the Severn rivers which flow through both nations, a decision has also been taken by NRW to move the Upper Severn area of Wales into drought.
Explaining what drought status means, the change in an area’s status from prolonged dry weather status to drought is mainly a classification that indicates the severity of the situation rather than requiring different action from people, other than to use water wisely. While some areas are currently under a hosepipe ban, this does not automatically come into force due to the drought status.
Natalie Hall added:“While we’ve been experiencing some much-needed rain across parts of Wales over recent days, the amounts we have seen are nowhere near enough to alleviate the impacts of many weeks of dry, hot weather. We will need a significant period of more prolonged rainfall to see the levels in our rivers and reservoirs replenished to the levels we need.
“As climate change accelerates, summers in the UK are expected to become dryer, and extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense. While essential water replies remain safe, it’s crucial that everyone carefully considers how they use water over this exceptionally dry period.
“We encourage everyone to report any environmental incidents related to the current dry weather to our incidents team via our 24-hour hotline on 0300 065 3000.”
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