Autumn rain fails to reverse impact of Eastern Scotland’s dry spring and summer
Date published: 17 September 2026
The effects of Scotland’s dry spring and summer are continuing to impact eastern Scotland, with four further areas days away from reaching the highest water scarcity level, potentially bringing the total at Significant Scarcity to eight.
The effects of Scotland’s dry spring and summer are continuing to impact eastern Scotland, with four further areas days away from reaching the highest water scarcity level, potentially bringing the total at Significant Scarcity to eight.
The latest weekly Water Scarcity Report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) shows North Fife, Fife (East Neuk), Stonehaven and North Esk remain at Significant Scarcity.
Tay Estuary (North), Whiteadder Water, Berwickshire Coastal and the Lower Dee and Water of Feugh areas are now approaching the same level.
Six of these eight areas have already experienced Significant Scarcity this year.
Rainfall allowed river levels in the six previously affected areas to recover temporarily but did not reverse the underlying deficit which has built up over months of dry weather.
Recent rain has not brought lasting recovery
Further showery rain is forecast over the coming days. This may bring localised and short-term improvements, but sustained and widespread rainfall will be needed for a lasting recovery, particularly across eastern Scotland.
River flows remain low to very low across much of the east, with many catchments continuing to experience prolonged low flows. Ground conditions remain dry despite some recent improvement, while groundwater levels are also low to very low across much of the region.
Eilidh Johnston, SEPA Senior Leader in Compliance, said:
“Looking out of the window, it may feel as though Scotland has had plenty of rain. But our monitoring shows that showers passing through have not reversed the effects of the prolonged dry weather.
“Think of exceptionally low river flows as the red zone on a car’s fuel gauge. Recent rain put some fuel back in the tank and helped these rivers move out of that red zone for a time, but it did not refill the tank. River levels have fallen again and the warning light is coming back on.
“That is why our decisions are based on environmental monitoring and long-term scientific evidence, not simply the weather we have experienced over the past few days. Our monitoring network allows us to see what is happening in rivers across Scotland and compare current conditions with records collected over many years.
“The question is not simply whether it rains, but how much rain falls, where it falls and whether it is sustained for long enough to replenish rivers, soils and groundwater.”
Compliance and resilience
SEPA carry out compliance inspections when areas reach Significant Scarcity to ensure temporary restrictions on licensed water abstraction are being followed. Inspections carried out in the Fife area have found 100% compliance.
Officers have also seen investment in off-line water storage, allowing water collected when it is available to be used later without adding pressure to rivers when flows are critically low.
While most seasonal irrigation has now ended, some farmers still require water for later crops, including brassicas. Investment in storage means those businesses are more resilient and better able to continue operating towards the end of the growing season.
Eilidh added:
“Our inspections in Fife have found excellent compliance with the restrictions that are in place. We have also seen the benefit of businesses planning ahead and investing in resilience, including off-line storage which reduces their reliance on rivers when water levels are critically low.
“Businesses which abstract water should continue to check the latest information, follow their water scarcity plans and use water as efficiently as possible.”
What does significant scarcity mean
Significant Scarcity is reached when river flows at a representative monitoring station remain below Q95 for 30 consecutive days. Q95 is an exceptionally low flow which, based on long-term records, would on average only occur 18 days per year.
If low flows continue and the four approaching areas reach the threshold, affected licence holders will be required to stop abstracting water. Most seasonal irrigation in those areas has already ended, but formal restrictions will still be issued where applicable to protect rivers and the wildlife that depend on them.
Restrictions are targeted and temporary. They are kept under regular review and lifted when conditions improve sufficiently.
SEPA publish weekly Water Scarcity Reports throughout the summer, using information from Scotland’s environmental monitoring network to provide advance warning of changing conditions and help water users plan ahead.
Anyone can monitor local conditions using SEPA’s online Drought Risk Assessment Tool, which shows how close monitoring stations are to reaching Significant Scarcity.
Notes to editors
Current water scarcity levels
Significant Scarcity: Stonehaven, North Esk, Fife (East Neuk), North Fife
Moderate Scarcity: Dee (Aberdeen), Esk (Angus), Firth of Tay, Firth of Forth, Tyne (Lothian), Tweed
Alert: Findhorn, Deveron, Ythan, Don (Aberdeenshire), Earn, Almond
Early warning: Spey, Tay, Forth, Annan, Cree, Shetland, Esk (Dumfriesshire), Dee (Galloway)
All areas not mentioned above are at Normal conditions
Current data and conditions
The latest information on water scarcity and river conditions is available through:
SEPA's Water Scarcity Situation Report – 17 September 2026 – the weekly assessment of water scarcity conditions across Scotland.
SEPA's Drought Risk Assessment Tool – shows low-flow monitoring stations and how close areas are to Significant Scarcity
SEPA's River Level Network – current river-level information from monitoring stations across Scotland
Rainfall data for Scotland – current and historic rainfall information
Water scarcity and flooding
Scotland can experience flooding and water scarcity at the same time. The two are not contradictory.
Flooding can result from intense rainfall over a relatively short period, while water scarcity reflects the effects of prolonged dry conditions on rivers soils and groundwater. Conditions can therefore vary considerably between different parts of Scotland and individual catchments.
Rain in an area also does not automatically mean water scarcity conditions will improve. After prolonged dry weather, intense rainfall can cause river levels to rise rapidly and lead to localised flooding, but those rises may be short lived. For water scarcity conditions to recover, river flows need to improve sufficiently and remain higher over time.
Dry soils and low groundwater levels can also take longer to recover, meaning sustained rainfall over longer periods may be needed to reverse the effects of prolonged dry conditions.
Water scarcity levels
SEPA uses five levels to describe water scarcity: Normal Conditions, Early Warning, Alert, Moderate Scarcity and Significant Scarcity.
The levels reflect increasing pressure on the water environment. At Significant Scarcity, SEPA may temporarily restrict abstractions from the environment where necessary to protect rivers and ecosystems.
Water scarcity levels relate to the water environment and are not an assessment of public drinking water supplies.
DRAT stations and significant scarcity
SEPA monitors a network of long-established low-flow gauging stations across Scotland to identify when river flows have remained unusually low for a sustained period.
The Drought Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT) shows how many days each station has been below Q95, a recognised low-flow threshold. When a station reaches 30 days below Q95, the catchments it represents move to Significant Scarcity and SEPA will impose any abstraction restrictions required.
Each station represents a defined Significant Scarcity area, which may contain one river or several catchments. As a result, the number of DRAT stations reaching the threshold and the number of areas at Significant Scarcity may be different.
How long water scarcity can last
Water scarcity does not necessarily end at the end of summer. Conditions can improve or deteriorate depending on rainfall and how rivers, soils and groundwater respond.
Further information and support
The National Water Scarcity Plan explains how water scarcity is monitored and managed in Scotland.
Further information is available on: