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. The wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park (Neil Pooran/PA)“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. Companies facing the abstraction restrictions include Fisheries Management Scotland, NFU Scotland, the Scotch Whisky Association and Scottish Golf.