When Dragonflies Fly Low
Slideshow/Grid
The River Wye, running from Plynlimon to the Severn Estuary is the fourth longest river in the UK. As with all rivers, the Wye is the life of the communities it flows through. This River however, is being constantly damaged by farming, food production and most notably, sewage. In 2024 alone, the River Wye saw 14,640 hours of pollution from combined sewage outflows along its banks. This combined with all other forms of pollution means that the Wye does not fit standards for River health in the UK and Europe, this has been the case for almost 10 years.
When Dragonflies Fly Low, comes from the phrase “When dragonflies fly low, a storm is coming” originating in the Tamil Nadu state of India. While not unique to Tamil Nadu, this is a phrase for predicting weather by the movement of Dragonflies.
When there is a collection of low atmospheric pressure, migratory insects move in the pressure columns down to the surface of the River. If you were to see insects low to the ground then rain is coming. In the UK, the amount of rain is linked to how much pollution could be entering the Rivers.
