First parts of UK officially declare drought - as dry spell to end for some

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.

However, a change is on the way this weekend: rain is forecast on both days, but it won't be prolonged or heavy in most areas.

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson says it will move in from the North West on Saturday, reaching the South East later in the day.

"Most areas should catch some rain, but it will only be a few millimetres in the South, where rain is desperately needed," she says.

Showers are also expected on Sunday, but Ms Robinson says they will be concentrated in the east, where heavy downpours are possible.

It will also turn cooler over the weekend, but hot weather will remain for some - 30C is possible in the London area on Saturday.

'Rain is desperately needed'

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; Scotland has 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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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.

(c) Sky News 2026: First parts of UK officially declare drought - as dry spell to end for some