Wales Declares Nationwide Drought as July Hits Just 8% of Normal Rainfall

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) extended its drought declaration to cover the entire country on Thursday, July 30, expanding a designation that had applied only to north Wales and the Upper Severn since July 23.

Wales has received just 8% of its long-term average rainfall for July, according to NRW. That puts the month on course to be the driest July in Wales since records began 190 years ago.

Rivers Running Dry

NRW says the majority of rivers across Wales are now exceptionally low. That list includes the Clwyd, Alyn, Clywedog, Dyfi, Conwy, Cleddau, Cothi, Teifi, Wye and Usk, according to reporting from the BBC, ITV News Wales, North Wales Live and Nation.Cymru, all of which cited the same NRW figures.

Groundwater levels are falling too, with some readings lower than would normally be expected for this time of year, NRW reported.

In parts of north Wales, there has been no significant rainfall since July 6, according to North Wales Live.

Impacts on the Ground

NRW says its teams are fielding a growing pile of reports: drying riverbeds, fish in distress, algal blooms, and an ongoing wildfire risk. Crews are still cleaning up after wildfires that already tore through forestry, grassland and protected habitats, according to Nation.Cymru.

Farmers are feeling it directly. NRW flagged concerns over crop growth, grazing conditions and water supplies for livestock as the dry spell drags on.

Rhian Thomas, NRW's Sustainable Water and Nature Manager, put it plainly: "The intensity of the heat and the exceptional lack of rainfall means this is a rapidly changing picture in Wales." She added that "the toll on the environment, our land and agriculture is clear to see," pointing to teams still dealing with wildfire aftermath across the country.

Thomas also warned there's no relief in sight: "With no strong indications for notable rainfall in the forecasts, and risks of further heatwaves over the summer, it's more important than ever that we all use water wisely."

No Hosepipe Ban, Yet

An environmental drought declaration is not the same as a threat to household water supplies.

The BBC reported that Welsh water companies say reservoir levels are holding up after a wet start to the year, and that there's currently no threat to water supplies for homes and businesses. Dwr Cymru specifically told North Wales Live there are no current Temporary Use Bans, commonly known as hosepipe bans, in effect in north Wales.

NRW's drought declaration is triggered by a basket of ecological indicators, river flows, groundwater, soil conditions, and wildlife impact, not by reservoir stock. Water companies run their own separate triggers for public supply restrictions, and those haven't been pulled yet.

Response Underway

NRW says it's already making regulation releases, including compensation releases, to prop up river systems and support abstraction limits. In some locations, additional reservoir releases are going toward river ecosystems and fisheries. Abstraction controls and other measures from NRW's Drought Plan are being rolled out as conditions demand, according to Nation.Cymru.

The agency says it's coordinating with the Welsh Government, water companies, the Environment Agency and the Wales Drought Liaison Group. Because rivers like the Wye, Severn and Dee cross the England-Wales border, NRW is also working directly with the Environment Agency to track conditions on those waterways, a coordination detail Nation.Cymru included that the other outlets did not mention. England has separately declared drought in several areas this week, per Nation.Cymru's reporting, meaning the dry spell isn't a Wales-only story.

What Happens Next

NRW has not indicated when it expects conditions to improve, and its own statement notes forecasts show no strong signal for meaningful rain. The open question is how long reservoir levels can keep decoupling from the broader environmental crisis before water companies are forced to consider their own restrictions. For now, the ask from NRW is simple: use less water, because whatever isn't used goes to rivers and wildlife that have nothing else.