Experts warn that water scarcity may continue despite flood alerts

Heavy rain which could cause flooding in parts of Scotland is unlikely to provide the relief that is needed after exceptionally dry weather, experts have warned.A cluster of heavy slow moving showers and storms will roll across eastern Scotland on Wednesday afternoon, with the potential for flash floods and impacts to transport networks, the Met Office has said.The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued several flood alerts, but has underlined that heavy rain, after dry weather, can cause flooding without the “sustained recovery” needed.The agency extended their restrictions on companies who usually take water from the environment, due to the continued water scarcity.Shona McConnell, Sepa’s head of compliance, said: “It may seem surprising to be talking about water scarcity when heavy rain is falling, or flood alerts are in place.“But the two can happen at the same time.The wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park (Neil Pooran/PA)PA Wire“After a prolonged period of dry weather, a spell of heavy rain can cause localised flooding without providing the sustained recovery that rivers and catchments need.“We will continue to carefully assess the impact of rainfall on a daily basis to ensure that restrictions are appropriate and only in place for as long as necessary.Companies facing the abstraction restrictions include Fisheries Management Scotland, NFU Scotland, the Scotch Whisky Association and Scottish Golf.Northern Ireland and northern England are also likely to see some sorely-needed rain, forecasters said.There is a marked north-south split in conditions as the south continues to experience dry weather-with sunny spells.Read MoreBy Thursday, outbreaks of rain in the north will sink south, but they will turn more showery, forecasters said.Some of it may reach rain-starved parts of eastern England, though little is expected for central and southern England.The Green Party Leader Zack Polanski railed against the UK Government’s response to “apocalyptic” scenes this summer at a press conference on Wednesday.Green Party leader Zack Polanski speaking during a press conference at Church House in central London (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA WireHe called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to bring in measures including financial support to keep homes cool and bring the water companies under full public ownership.Mr Polanski said: “The scenes we have seen play out on our television screens are frankly apocalyptic.“And yet the response from our government is to pretend none of this is happening. It’s an astonishing dereliction of duty from those whose first responsibility is to keep us safe.“And from the media – with some brilliant and notable exceptions – we’ve seen more clamouring for North Sea drilling in the last few weeks than raising the alarm on climate breakdown.”July was the driest month ever recorded in southern England – and meteorologists have said there may not be significant rainfall in the area for some time.The extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths.Two more heatwaves in July, the driest July in England and Wales since records began, have fuelled drought and wildfires.Major supermarkets have removed disposable barbecues from sale amid warnings of a heightened risk of wildfires.Asda was the latest to start pulling single-use grills from its shelves on Tuesday as a spell of exceptionally dry and hot weather continues to grip parts of the UK.Firefighters have tackled wildfires across the country, including in Dunwich, Suffolk, and the Cairngorms in recent weeks.