00:00What was once green is now turning a shade of brown.
00:05It's been unseasonably hot and dry, even for summer.
00:09And now we're feeling the effects.
00:12At Castle Dairies in Kefili, they produce 200 tonnes of butter a week.
00:17But they rely on a steady flow of cream, something the weather may threaten.
00:23We have really good supply chains that go back a long way.
00:29We've got a lot of confidence in those.
00:33We do utilize storage as well to try and create some stock so that we can go through the leaner
00:41periods.
00:42So at this stage, I'm pretty confident that we will be able to service our businesses.
00:47But you don't know what you don't know.
00:49And I think there are so many unknowns over the next six months.
00:52It's difficult to make a call on it, really.
00:56Large parts of North Wales are already officially in drought.
01:00Farmers say the situation is desperate, with the soil baked hard, affecting crops and cattle.
01:07It's so dry, George is struggling to feed his herd.
01:11So he's made the difficult decision to sell some of his animals.
01:15There is nothing available for the cows to eat, really, on the grazing platform.
01:21Our corn and arable side to the business, that's down 60%.
01:26So we're having to buy that feed in.
01:29So if we buy it all in, it's £176,000, which we can't really afford to do.
01:36So we've made the decision to sell 60 cows.
01:39And this afternoon, after a meeting of the Wales Drought Liaison Group, the entire country has now been declared as
01:47in drought.
01:48It's been the driest July in Wales for nearly two centuries.
01:53And that has consequences.
01:56Very difficult to say how long this will last.
01:59It all depends on what water comes out of the heavens, I'm afraid.
02:01You know, we're not looking like much rainfall.
02:04We've had a little shower here in South West Wales this morning.
02:07Didn't do much good, better than nothing.
02:10However, you know, next week or so looks dry.
02:12There is a sign of some unsettled weather coming after that.
02:14But the long rain shows a drier than average August as well.
02:18While drinking water supplies are not at risk, this gives you a fair idea of how dry it's been.
02:25Dwr Cymbrí Welsh Water says reservoir levels in South East Wales have fallen by 17% in just over a
02:34month.
02:34Leaving reservoirs around 70% full in this part of Wales, which is the lowest level of anywhere in the
02:42country.
02:43This is an unusually prolonged period of dry weather.
02:47And it's having some unexpected consequences.
02:50In Swansea, the Copper Jack boat trip hasn't been able to run because levels on the River Towie are so
02:57low.
02:57Due to the exceptionally low rainfall and therefore the low river conditions,
03:03we have been unable to take the boat out for fear of grounding.
03:07We've been operating for just under 20 years.
03:09The Trust was formed 20 years ago and we've had a boat for the vast majority of that time.
03:14And in all that time, the river has never been as low as this.
03:17There is some rain in the forecast, but nothing meaningful.
03:22Little comfort for those already struggling with the hot, dry weather.
03:27The bus only brings Challenges, and when the water deals close together to TJ!
03:30Somethings like water?
03:30It'sthrough and staying there.
03:30It's warm water.
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