Submitted by Gayatri Suman on
The first half of November was dry, cloudy and mild, in contrast to the second half which saw snow, storms and heavy rain. Total rainfall was below average in the north and, despite the first dry fortnight, average in the south – although this masks regional variation. River flows also reflected this spatial gradient, with below normal to notably low flows in the north and flows in the normal range to notably high in the south. Soils wetted up towards month‑end, although they remained drier than average in eastern parts of Scotland. At most sites, groundwater levels ranged from the normal range to exceptionally high, with recharge observed in late November. Reservoir stocks at most impoundments fell relative to average, removing surpluses for some in the north (e.g. Loch Katrine, the Northern Command Zone) and for Scotland as a whole. Despite this, stocks remained near-average for each country individually. Whilst the wet start to December may have somewhat ameliorated any water resources concerns associated with the dry autumn in the north, the wetted soils and high groundwater levels continue to elevate flood risk in the south and east during the transition into winter.
