River Wye level in Hereford continues to drop during drought

Analysis of Environment Agency river gauge data shows the river is now only 1.8cm above the lowest credible level in the record, when it dropped to 10.2cm during the drought summer of 2022.

The only periods lower than today's level came during a handful of days between July and September that year.

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Sharing pictures of the River Wye just downstream of Old Bridge in Hereford on Thursday (July 30), Hereford Times Camera Club member Mark Gregory said: "Wow, never seen the river this low."

The figures come as Herefordshire and the whole of Wales are officially in drought after one of the driest summers on record.

Earlier this week, the Environment Agency described a second consecutive summer drought as an "exceptionally serious situation" for wildlife, farming and water supplies, while Natural Resources Wales said July was on course to become the driest July since records began 190 years ago, with just eight per cent of average rainfall recorded across Wales.

River levels across the county remain exceptionally low.

Latest readings show the Wye at around 12cm at Belmont, while anglers are still being asked to stay off parts of the river because of low flows and high water temperatures .

Belmont gauge records dating back to 2016 via River Levels UK suggest the river is now running at levels usually only seen during the 2022 drought.

While the dataset contains a small number of apparent zero-value readings, these appear to be monitoring anomalies rather than genuine river levels.

The lowest confirmed level remains 10.2cm in September 2022.

The contrast with recent winters is striking as the same monitoring station has recorded flood peaks of more than six metres in recent years.

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Natural Resources Wales has said releasing additional water from the Elan Valley reservoirs into the Wye remains an option if conditions worsen, although the threshold for intervention has not yet been reached.

The dry weather is also affecting farmers, while Welsh Water has not ruled out further restrictions if conditions continue.

Environment Agency data shows Hereford's Broomy Hill rain gauge has recorded no measurable rainfall since the end of June, and Elan Valley reservoir levels continue to fall .

With little significant rain forecast, the River Wye remains close to levels last seen during the 2022 drought, with regulators continuing to monitor conditions closely.