Much of Wales remains officially in drought despite recent wet weather. Rivers remain low across much of the country for the time of year, even though Wales has received 78% of the expected rainfall so far in September.
Regional status and recovery
Areas in south-east, north Wales and the upper Severn remain in drought status, while Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has confirmed that south-west Wales will move into 'recovery from drought' status. NRW said rivers had responded well to recent rainfall and were approaching normal flows again for the time of year.
NRW declares drought when a combination of factors shows a significant shortage of rainfall and water availability, impacting rivers, groundwater, ecosystems, agriculture and land management. The organisation classifies drought into four stages: normal, prolonged dry weather, drought, and recovery.
Timeline and expert comment
Drought was first declared in north Wales and the upper Severn on July 23, and a week later, on July 30, drought status was extended across the whole of Wales.
Rhian Thomas, sustainable water and nature manager for NRW, said: "The heatwaves over the summer intensified the dry conditions, causing a rapid deterioration of the environment and widespread impacts to waters, soils, wildlife and habitats.
"While it's promising to see signs of recovery, we cannot be complacent. We expect it will take time, and more sufficient rainfall into the autumn before the environment fully recovers, and we will be closely monitoring conditions in the weeks and months to come."
Future outlook
Ms Thomas added: "With Wales reaching drought conditions for the last two summers, we must all be prepared for more frequent droughts in the future. As our climate continues to change, we expect to see a shift towards hotter, drier summers and wetter winters, with water less reliably available throughout the year.
"We are already planning for climate change in everything we do across our remit. This includes drought planning for the future and setting guidance for water company long-term planning. Our aim is to support a Wales which is more resilient to drought in the future."
