Wildfires and record dry conditions trigger drought in parts of Wales

Wildfires and record dry conditions trigger drought in parts of WalesImage source, Janey Liz/Weather WatchersImage caption, Wales is the first part of the UK to face an announcement of drought status so far this summerBySteffan Messenger, Wales environment correspondent and Elen Davies, BBC WalesPublished22 July 202689 CommentsUpdated 8 minutes agoWidespread wildfires, river levels approaching all-time lows and the mounting impacts of successive heatwaves have triggered a drought status for parts of Wales, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has confirmed.Wales has seen about 5% of the average rainfall for July, after a series of back-to-back heatwaves and a drier than usual April to June.Afonydd Cymru, which represents Wales' rivers trusts, said low river flows were causing "significant problems", killing fish and other wildlife, while farming unions warned of failing crops and heat-stressed livestock.NRW said the areas affected included North and South Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, also known as Anglesey, Dee, Clwyd and Upper Severn.It is the first part of the UK to face an announcement of drought status so far this summer.Image source, Tudur DaviesImage caption, The river Elwy in Denbighshire is among those running lowNRW announced last week that north and south-east Wales were moving to "prolonged dry weather" status - classed as a first step towards drought.It triggered enhanced monitoring and checks of waterways and important sites for wildlife as well as advice for farmers and others who use water from rivers.Now the regulator says the threshold has been reached for a drought to be declared across north and parts of mid Wales - based on exceptionally low river and groundwater levels, dry soils, impacts on wildlife, farming and forestry.The rest of mid and south Wales was also now classed as being in "prolonged dry weather" status. July is on course to become the driest in Wales for almost 190 years if significant rainfall does not arrive bef...