08-07-2025
Warm rivers passing 20C has been ruinous for fish
The UK's hottest and driest spring on record has overheated rivers around the country, leading to concentrated water pollution, low flows and more fish deaths, according to the Angling Trust.
River temperatures in England and Wales from March 20 to June 21 were the hottest since the trust's major citizen science project to monitor water quality started three years ago.
In 2025 there have been 87 confirmed incidents of fish kills — meaning a sudden spate of localised deaths — which is higher than at this stage in any of the past three years. While those include deaths caused by natural factors, 36 were due to low flows which concentrate pollution from farms and sewage — higher than at this point in 2023 and 2024. Fish rescues have already been needed on the River Teme in Wales and River Redlake in Shropshire.
