According to SEPA's latest water scarcity report (as issued on 8 June 2023), that small part of NW Scotland which was already at moderate scarcity level, is now at significant scarcity level.

In addition to that, the area around Loch Ness and Inverness is not at moderate water scarcity level according to SEPA, along with a small part of the Scottish Borders/Dumfries and Galloway.

For everywhere else, most areas have now been upgraded to alert level for water scarcity with the exception of parts of the west coast, NE Scotland and even the Orkney Isles which are now on early warning status for water scarcity.

This then leaves the Shetland Isles as the only remaining part of Scotland which is still at normal levels as regards to water scarcity.

This report can be read from here .

Given that we are still very early in the summer, this is very concerning indeed when you consider that there are still not too many signs of much in the way of significant rainfall in the latest model output.

As things stand, my own fears about the eventual outcome of all of this continue to be on course to end up being realised in the end, and I have a hunch from this that I might not actually be worrying unduly about that as what some members on here might be thinking at the moment.


 

I don't think that the gravity of what is happening with our climate (at a fairly rapid old rate) will hit some people until they're having to get their water from standpipes in the street.

With the way things are going (increasingly long, dry periods), I think we may actually see this within the next 10 years.

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I don't think that the gravity of what is happening with our climate (at a fairly rapid old rate) will hit some people until they're having to get their water from standpipes in the street.

With the way things are going (increasingly long, dry periods), I think we may actually see this within the next 10 years.

It has happened before - and the present situation hasn't been improved by the failure of water companies to build reservoirs to match the increase in population.

https://www.countryfile.com/countryfile/great-drought-of-1976-what-happened-and-what-was-the-impact-on-britain/ 

Fortunately, the most extreme measures were never implemented, although in south east Wales, where the Brecon reservoirs dried up, the mains water supply was switched off for up to 17 hours a day. East Anglia, the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and Devon were also severely affected. Standpipes (outdoor taps installed on streets to dispense water) were in use in many districts, one for every 20 houses. By late August, London had 90 days’ supply left, Leeds only 80. The slogan “Save Water, Bath with a Friend” appeared everywhere, and was wondrously lampooned.

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So, we've hit the 4-week drought mark here. Having (unsurprisingly) been untroubled by rain this weekend, and with the models all showing wall-to-wall sunshine for at least another week... how long will it go on for, I wonder?

There will be subsidence problems in the not too distant future.

 

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Drought conditions broken here today with 0.5 mm of rain.

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Drought conditions broken here today with 0.5 mm of rain.

Hah, talk about breaking the drought in style! That must have wet the ground for ooh, all of half an hour?

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Hah, talk about breaking the drought in style! That must have wet the ground for ooh, all of half an hour?

About that! 😁

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It has happened before - and the present situation hasn't been improved by the failure of water companies to build reservoirs to match the increase in population.

https://www.countryfile.com/countryfile/great-drought-of-1976-what-happened-and-what-was-the-impact-on-britain/ 

Fortunately, the most extreme measures were never implemented, although in south east Wales, where the Brecon reservoirs dried up, the mains water supply was switched off for up to 17 hours a day. East Anglia, the East Midlands, South Yorkshire and Devon were also severely affected. Standpipes (outdoor taps installed on streets to dispense water) were in use in many districts, one for every 20 houses. By late August, London had 90 days’ supply left, Leeds only 80. The slogan “Save Water, Bath with a Friend” appeared everywhere, and was wondrously lampooned.

I was 4 and a half in summer '76 and have a lot memories of that summer. 

A lot relate to our annual Devon holiday (we had family friends who moved down there). One is of a fishing trip (with the dads) to a reservoir (almost certainly Squabmoor) and the water level being really low, with an expanse of concrete-hard dried mud between the perimeter path and start of the water. We went back a couple of years later and I struggled to reconcile it being the same place, as it was nearly full. 

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Hah, talk about breaking the drought in style! That must have wet the ground for ooh, all of half an hour?

Using a very unscientific method (an empty  Celebrations tub had been left on the patio), we had about 1.25cm yesterday evening. 

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Showers are nowhere near here so the wait for rain goes on. Been about 4 weeks I think. Sun has come back out after some dark clouds,  24c. 

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Showers are nowhere near here so the wait for rain goes on. Been about 4 weeks I think. Sun has come back out after some dark clouds,  24c. 

Similar here, Tim - near Lincoln - but lighter cloud cover than you describe. I would not be surprised if the thunderstorms pass us by completely. It's been a warm day - but not unpleasantly so.

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Showers are nowhere near here so the wait for rain goes on. Been about 4 weeks I think. Sun has come back out after some dark clouds,  24c. 

Exact same here. Became very threatening looking during the afternoon but not a drop fell. Golden evening sun at the moment with a slight drop in dew point temp (from 17c all day to 14c now)

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Similar here, Tim - near Lincoln - but lighter cloud cover than you describe. I would not be surprised if the thunderstorms pass us by completely. It's been a warm day - but not unpleasantly so.

Absolutely nothing here either. I saw a couple of hefty storms broke out in Cambs, one north of Cambridge, but nowhere near us.

It’s been a bizarre few months, going from very wet to cold and dry and now, from nowhere, a sudden hot spell.  The ground has dried out very fast and the willow tree in the back garden is already showing signs of stress, with a few leaves being shed.

What are we doing to our climate?

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Well after about a month without any rain here we broke the drought this afternoon with an amazing thunderstorms and torrential rain 

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Well after about a month without any rain here we broke the drought this afternoon with an amazing thunderstorms and torrential rain 

Nice to see that the drought is over at Gavs Weather Towers, and the drought is also officially over here in Edinburgh as well as a result of 2.6 mm of rain having fallen in the early part of this morning at Edinburgh Gogarbank, along with 1.8 mm at the botanic gardens in Edinburgh.

Given the latest model output though, it might not be too long before we are worrying about that all over again.
 

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Another day where the models promised me some rain became just another day where they got that completely wrong yet again.

Grass really starting to yellow up now. And what remains green looks fragile and tired 

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It rained here today, but very briefly and barely wet the ground.

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Drought over for now here.

A couple of cracking thunderstorms dropped not far off 2 inches of rain today. 

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Thunder without rain. Beggars belief. 

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Thunder without rain. Beggars belief. 

It happens. I remember a vigorous discussion with a primary school friend on the way home one day when there was just that; and whether this was more or less dangerous than thunder (and lightning) with rain.

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It happens. I remember a vigorous discussion with a primary school friend on the way home one day when there was just that; and whether this was more or less dangerous than thunder (and lightning) with rain.

Interesting. I recall reading before that lightning only strikes within a 'dry' part of the storm. How true that is I don't know. 

With the aggressiveness of the thunder one would have thought that the downpour of the century was about to happen . No such luck!

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