Current water situation update
4 April 2025
This report provides an update on the risk of water scarcity, since the winter report, following a dry March.
Headlines
There is an Early Warning of water scarcity across most of the country. March was a dry month for most of Scotland. Some areas received less than half of the average rainfall for this time of year. This follows on from a dry autumn and winter. Without significant above average rainfall in spring and summer, there is an increased risk of water scarcity occurring early in the season.
Summary
Rainfall has continued to be below average in March for most of the country. In the south of Scotland there were areas that received less than a third of average rainfall. This follows on from 6 months of below average rainfall over autumn and winter. Parts of Angus and Fife have now experienced 10 months of below average rainfall, receiving less than half of what's normal for March. Shetland was the only area to receive above average rainfall in March.
River flows are low to extremely low, relative to the long-term average, for this time of year. Groundwater levels, from our monitoring points, are generally low to very low for the time of year. This is due to the limited recharge over the winter period. Groundwater levels are lower than levels recorded in early April 2022, particularly in Fife and Angus. Low groundwater levels in April 2022 were followed by a period of drought in summer 2022. Only groundwater levels in the Moray area are above normal for the time of year which reflects the higher-than-average rainfall in this area over the winter period
There is an Early Warning of water scarcity for all areas of Scotland, apart from Shetland. Without significant above average rainfall in spring and summer, there is an increased risk of water scarcity occurring early in the season.
A map produced by the Met Office which shows the 2025 March rainfall amount as a percentage of the 1991-2020 average.
Forecast
Staying dry across Scotland for at least the next 5 days.
The rainfall outlook for the April - June period suggests the chances of either a dry or wet spring overall are both near normal for the UK. The chance of a warm period is higher than normal.
© Crown copyright [2025], Met Office
Advice for water users
Everyone should plan to increase their resilience to the impacts of prolonged dry conditions. By taking the right steps now, it could help reduce the impact of water scarcity in the future. Advice for abstractors and irrigators provides more information.