Drought declared in south-west Wales making it the NINTH region in UK to be officially low on water

A drought has been declared in south west Wales this morning after large parts of southern England were placed into the category last week.

It comes as Pembrokeshire in south Wales is to impose a hosepipe ban to try and save water, despite usually being one of the wetter parts of the UK.

Areas affected include Swansea, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen. 

Scenes of parched grass and shrinking rivers have become common across the UK this summer after barely any rain (Pictured: the Carew River, Pembrokeshire)

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) says the threshold that triggers the status of a drought was met today, with the decision made alongside the government’s Drought Liaison Group. 

Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire are also facing a hosepipe ban, due to the decimation in water supply. 

The hosepipe ban had already been planned to start today before the region fell into drought. 

Local reservoirs are at their lowest levels in years, and in Pembrokeshire tankers are being used to ferry water around the county to make sure everyone has a constant supply.

It is the area Welsh Water is most concerned about, with representative Ian Christie telling BBC Breakfast this morning there has ‘simply been no rain’ in the county.