First parts of UK officially declare drought after record-breaking heatwaves

Drought has been declared in two areas of Wales and part of England, following record dry conditions, heatwaves, wildfires and dwindling rivers.

North Wales and the Upper Severn become the first parts of the UK to officially announce the change in status, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said.

The decision to declare drought comes after extended periods of hot and dry weather, with July on track to become the driest in almost 190 years.

The areas affected by the drought status declaration include North Gwynedd, Ynys Mon, South Gwynedd, Dee (Wales), Clwyd, and Upper Severn, which covers mid-Wales and parts of the West Midlands.

This summer's dry conditions saw record-high temperatures last month and followed last year's drought summer.

The third heatwave of this year has seen ponds and wetlands dry out, which will impact bird breeding, while some rivers have dried up in places, the Environment Agency said this week.

Many parts of England are in prolonged dry weather status as the country has received just 3% of its average July rainfall, with hosepipe bans in place for 23 million customers and suppliers warning they may stay in place all summer.

Wildfires have been raging in several places in England, while Scotland has also been hit by a major wildfire in the Cairngorms and in the Republic of Ireland, a nationwide hosepipe ban is in place in response to the dry conditions.

North Wales and the Upper Severn have received less than 2% of the expected rainfall for the month so far, with river flows exceptionally low across large parts of the region, and some locations recording or approaching record lows.

NRW, the Welsh government's environmental agency, said there had been no significant rainfall in the region since 6 July.

Monitoring shows that groundwater levels had continued to fall and river temperatures were high, the NRW said.

The dry conditions have sparked concerns from farmers about grazing and water availability for livestock.

It's also significantly increased the risk of wildfires - with North Wales in particular experiencing several major blazes in recent weeks.

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Widespread hot and dry weather, heatwaves, wildfires and dwindling rivers have taken a toll across the UK over the summer, with hosepipe bans introduced in many parts of the country.

NRW said it declared drought when a combination of indicators showed a significant shortage of rainfall and water availability, affecting rivers, groundwater, agriculture, natural systems and land management.

Rhian Thomas, sustainable water and nature manager at NRW, said: "The prolonged period of hot, dry weather we have experienced this summer is now having serious impacts on the environment across parts of Wales.

"We have seen rivers fall to exceptionally low levels, groundwater continuing to decline, and increasing reports of environmental impacts affecting wildlife, fisheries, farming and sensitive habitats.

"The recent wildfires across North Wales and South East Wales are one of the clearest and most visible signs of how dry our landscapes have become.

"While drought status does not automatically mean water shortages for customers, it does reflect the growing pressure being placed on our environment."

A national hosepipe ban is also in place in the Republic of Ireland in response to the dry conditions.

(c) Sky News 2026: First parts of UK officially declare drought after record-breaking heatwaves