Back to Water scarcity seasonal reports

Winter water situation report 2025

This report reviews the conditions over the past three months (December, January, February) and summarises how the weather conditions over autumn have impacted water resources across Scotland.

Headlines

Many parts of Scotland have had drier than normal conditions this winter. This follows on from a dry autumn. Without significant above average rainfall in spring and summer, there is an increased risk of water scarcity.

Summary

Despite intermittent wet spells, rainfall has been below average over winter for much of the country. This follows a particularly dry autumn - the 5th driest autumn in 100 years (Met Office). Some areas, particularly in central and south Scotland, have experienced below average rainfall for several months now. For example, the Dundee area has now experienced 9 months of below average rainfall. Although there were wet periods in the Highlands and Moray through December and around Hogmanay, this was followed by a dry January and February. The Met Office state that for February the far north of Scotland recorded some very low rainfall, with Orkney seeing just 34% of its average, Sutherland 37% and Shetland 40% (Met Office, 2025).

Groundwater levels, from our monitoring points, are normal to low for the time of year, with particularly low values recorded in the Fife, Angus and Dumfries regions. The low values recorded in Fife are similar to levels recorded in February 2022. The lower than normal groundwater levels in winter 2022 preceded a period of drought over summer 2022. 

Without significant above average rainfall in spring and summer, there is an increased risk of water scarcity. SEPA will begin weekly water scarcity reporting in May. 

Forecast

The rainfall outlook for the March-May period suggests the chances of either a dry or wet spring overall are both near normal for the UK. The chance of a mild season is higher than normal, with a reduced chance of a cool season. 

© 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.