Scotland now the, er, driest part of Britain

A LONG hot summer is set to test Scotland’s water resilience to the limit, with the country now officially the driest part of the UK.

Conditions mirror those of 2018, when an almost rain-free spring was followed by a bonedry June, leading to emergency measures by Scottish Water to replenish areas running short on supplies.

The UK Drought Portal now puts most of Scotland amid either mildly dry or moderately dry levels, far drier than almost all of

England. Last week, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) placed Orkney on a warning of ‘moderate scarcity’ for water, its second-highest warning.

An early warning for water shortage is also in place over most of Scotland.

SEPA said: ‘June has received well below average rainfall across the country. Ground conditions remain widely dry, and further periods of dry weather may cause conditions to deteriorate rapidly.’

Northern Scotland was on a heavy rain warning yesterday, and much of the country can expect thundery downpours today and occasional showers tomorrow.

However, after that, Scotland is forecast to enter a prolonged period of warm, sunny and dry weather, with the country’s reservoirs now below 80 per cent.

Consumption is said to be higher this summer as more people stay at home rather than travel abroad. Demand for water is expected to increase later this month, when English schools break up for the summer and families head north of the Border for staycations.

Sarah Kent, of the Met Office, said high pressure extending from the South Atlantic will arrive on Thursday and remain in place at least until July 20. She added: ‘This will deliver temperatures above average for the time of year. From late July to mid-August, our long-range forecast is predicting warmer and drier conditions.

‘The caveat to that is that if there is any unsettled weather in the outlook, it will be seen in the north and west of the UK, affecting Scotland. Having said that, the rain will need to battle against high pressure, which is not easy.’

Earlier this year, NatureScot predicted that due to climate change, droughts in Scotland will happen every three years, as opposed to once in 20 years.

Scottish Water has asked people to preserve supplies with shorter showers, turning off taps when brushing teeth and replacing garden hoses with watering cans.