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Storm Floris brought rain but water scarcity in the east remains unchanged

This week's update from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows that the areas facing the most pressure remain the same as last week. The Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), South Esk, Firth of Tay and Tyne catchments continue to experience Moderate Water Scarcity, while the Findhorn, Spey, Dee (Aberdeenshire) and Firth of Forth catchments remain at Alert.

Storm Floris brought heavy rain to the west and some localised showers elsewhere, but most of the rainfall fell in areas not currently affected by water scarcity. The conditions were enough to ease pressure in Thurso, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, which have returned to Normal Conditions, but not to improve the situation further east.

SEPA is also highlighting that while July rainfall was average to below average overall, it fell in short, intense bursts, particularly in the east. At Baluniefield in Dundee, over half of the month’s rainfall was recorded in a single day.

While this rainfall caused temporary increases in river levels, it did not soak into the ground and therefore failed to significantly replenish groundwater supplies. At several monitoring sites in Fife, groundwater levels were the lowest ever recorded for July.

This means eastern rivers are increasingly vulnerable if dry weather continues into late summer.

Claire Tunaley, SEPA Senior Hydrologist – Water Resources Unit, said:

“Although August began with wet and windy weather, the reality is that the rainfall hasn’t reached the parts of the country that need it most. The longer-term picture, particularly in the east, remains one of sustained pressure on our water environment.

“July’s rain came too quickly to do much good. What we need is steady, sustained rainfall to allow the environment to recover, not short bursts that run straight off dry ground.

“We continue to work with water users, including farmers and businesses, to manage help them resources efficiently.”

SEPA’s water scarcity situation reports are published weekly. The network of Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) stations is also available for people to track the areas that are most at risk. All information is available on our website.

Notes to Editors

• Moderate Scarcity - The Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Esk, Firth of Tay and the Tyne (Lothian) river catchments.
• Alert - The Findhorn, Spey, Dee (Aberdeenshire) and Firth of Forth catchments.
• SEPA’s four-tier water scarcity scale: Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity, Significant Scarcity

Data sources

• SEPA Water Scarcity situation report - 7th August 2025
• SEPA’s river level network - Find Scottish water levels information
• Rainfall data for Scotland - Scottish Rainfall Data
• DRAT - Water scarcity data - provided by Scottish Environment Protection Agency

DRAT stations and Significant Scarcity

Significant scarcity is reached when river flows have been very low for 30 or more days. We use a tool called the Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) to set significant scarcity level. 

DRAT is a network of flow gauging stations that SEPA monitor across Scotland and are used to set significant water scarcity when flows have been low for a sustained period of time. 

Data has been collected at these stations for a long period of time, so this allows us to give context to what is currently happening with the amount of flow in rivers relative to what you would normally expect. 
The river flow stations are each used as a representation of the conditions over an area, called a significant water scarcity area. The area and representative gauging stations are displayed on the tool.

Further support and useful links

The National Water Scarcity Plan explains how water resources will be managed prior to and during periods of prolonged dry weather. This is to ensure the correct balance is struck between protecting the environment and providing resource for human and economic activity.

Report dry private water supplies and rivers and burns in your area to help SEPA assess water scarcity stress.

All water abstractors should be aware of the potential risk of water scarcity this summer, monitor their water use, and plan ahead for a range of weather conditions. Find further advice for abstractors and irrigators on our website.