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North Wales and Upper Severn drought declaration

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DevelopingNext check : Whether conditions improve and Natural Resources Wales lifts the drought status.

Where it stands

Natural Resources Wales declared drought across North Wales and the Upper Severn on July 23, after some areas received only 2–3% of expected July rainfall. Impacts include pressure on farmers, crops and livestock, alongside increased wildfire risk; the declaration remains in place, with no lifting reported as of July 25.

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    1. Update 1Wales Logs Less Than 2% of Expected July Rain as First UK Drought of Summer Is Declared

    The story so far

    1. Update 1

      Wales Logs Less Than 2% of Expected July Rain as First UK Drought of Summer Is Declared

      Natural Resources Wales has put North Wales and the Upper Severn into official drought after a July so dry it is rewriting the record books.

      Still open after this report

      • No verbatim on-the-record NRW statement from the 23 July declaration has been published in the available reporting; only a partial quote from the later whole-of-Wales extension ("deteriorate") is on the record.
      • No precise national reservoir storage figure for late July 2026 has been confirmed in the sources reviewed.
      • The exact contribution of climate-change-driven drying versus natural variability to this specific July is not quantified in the reporting reviewed.

    History

    1. Opened1 report

    Who's involved

    Places

    • AngleseyAnglesey, United Kingdom1 report
    • GwyneddGwynedd, UK1 report
    • Halkyn MountainHalkyn Mountain, Holywell CH8 8EU, UK1 report
    • North WalesNorth Wales, UK1 report
    • River ClwydRiver Clwyd, United Kingdom1 report

    Every outlet we read on this story

    11 sources9 outlets1 video1 wire copy