Wales on course for driest July since records began

Nation.Cymru staff

Wales is on course to record its driest July since records began almost 200 years ago, as prolonged heat and a near-total lack of rain deepen drought conditions across the country.

Provisional figures from the Met Office show Wales has received just 7.9mm of rainfall so far this month, shattering the previous July record low of 22.6mm, set in 1911.

The figures come a day after Natural Resources Wales extended its drought declaration to cover the whole of Wales, warning that rivers, wildlife and agriculture are coming under increasing pressure after weeks of exceptionally dry weather.

The Met Office said July had been characterised by an “exceptional combination of extreme heat, abundant sunshine and an almost complete absence of rainfall”.

Scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “Across parts of England and Wales we’ve seen extraordinarily low totals, with some locations recording little or no meaningful rainfall for much of the month.

“Provisional figures suggest this could be one of the driest Julys in nearly two centuries of records, which is particularly notable when coupled with the exceptional heat experienced so far this summer.”

Wales is also on course to record its warmest July on record by average temperature.

Across the UK, England is also tracking its driest July on record, with just 5.6mm of rainfall recorded so far, while Northern Ireland is heading for its eighth driest July. Scotland has received around 72% of its average July rainfall and is not expected to enter its top 10 driest Julys.

The prolonged hot, dry weather has fuelled drought conditions across much of Wales and England and contributed to a surge in wildfires.

Fire and rescue services attended 393 wildfires across England and Wales during July, making it the busiest month on record.

Wildfires

The National Fire Chiefs Council warned wildfires were becoming “a recurring and growing feature of the risks facing our communities” as the climate changes.

The Met Office said there was still time for the final figures to change slightly, but described the emerging picture as “a truly exceptional July”.

Some showers are forecast over the weekend, although forecasters said rainfall would be uneven and many areas of Wales could receive little meaningful rain.

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