flood warnings

Flood Warnings

The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for flood warnings in England & Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland.

Northern Ireland does not operate a flood warning service. See Northern Ireland Flood Response Numbers below.

Both the EA and SEPA use the same floodline number and alert classifications. If you are worried about the current risk of flooding in your area call the Floodline on

0845 988 1188

The Floodline minicom number is 0845 602 6340.

Online Flood Warnings

Flood Warnings are available online at http://environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/floodwarning/ for England & Wales and http://www.sepa.org.uk/flooding/warnings/index.aspx for Scotland.

The alerts are classified in four categories:

Flood Watch

Flooding of low lying land and roads is expected. Be aware and be prepared.

Watch water levels

Stay tuned to local radio or TV
Ring Floodline on 0845 988 1188
Make sure you have what you need to put your flood plan into action
Alert your neighbours, particularly the elderly
Check pets and livestock
Reconsider travel plans

Flood Warning

Flooding of homes and businesses is expected. Act now.

As with Flood Watch plus

Move pets, vehicles, food, valuables and other items to safety
Put sandbags or flood boards in place
Prepare to turn off gas and electricity
Be prepared to evacuate your home
Protect yourself, your family and others that need your help

Severe Flood Warning

Severe flooding is expected. There is extreme danger to life and property. Act now.

As with Flood Warning plus

Be prepared to lose power supplies - gas, electricity, water, telephone
Try to keep calm, and to reassure others, especially children
Co-operate with emergency services and local authorities
You may be evacuated

All Clear

Flood Watches or Warnings are no longer in force for this area.

Flood water levels receding.
Check all is safe to return.
Seek advice.

Telephone Flood Warnings in England and Wales

Some areas with a high likelihood of flooding can receive early warnings by phone, mobile, fax or pager. You can find out if you live in one of these areas and sign up to the service by calling the Floodline 0845 988 1188.

Scottish Flood Warning Schemes

SEPA in partnership with local authorities and the police operate 41 separate flood warning schemes covering local areas of high risk across the country. They are currently looking into how they can provide warnings directly to all potentially affected individuals, communities or businesses within the schemes.

To find out if you live within a flood warning scheme, you can call Floodline on 0845 988 1188 and give your postcode to one of the operators. If you are covered by a scheme, they will provide you with a quick dial number to allow you to access recorded information for your area the next time you call.

Northern Ireland Flood Response Numbers

The various authorities in Northern Ireland have response numbers manned 24 hours a day for use when flooding occurs:

Rivers Agency - if flooding is coming from rivers or overflowing watercourses:

Omagh - 028 8225 4900
Fermanagh - 028 6638 8529
Coleraine - 028 7034 2357
Lisburn - 028 9260 6100
Armagh - 028 3839 9111
Belfast - 028 9260 6100

Roads Service – if flooding is coming from the roadway, footpath or blocked road gullies:

Eastern - 028 9025 3000
Northern - 028 7035 3202
Southern - 028 3752 9500
Western - 028 8225 4600

Water Service – if flooding is coming from burst water mains or blocked sewers:

Waterline - 08457 44 00 88
Waterline text phone - 08457 02 32 06

A small leaflet with these numbers, coverage area maps and basic flood advice is available from the Rivers Agency or online in PDF format at: http://www.riversagencyni.gov.uk

BBC TV Weather Forecasts

The BBC includes only Severe Flood Warnings in their TV weather forecasts but by then water may already be lapping at your door!

Useful Links:

Tide Tables and Predicted Heights for the next six days are available from either BBC Weather or the UK Hydrographic Office’s Admiralty Easytide Service

The Met Office gives detailed weather forecasts by area and severe weather warnings at www.metoffice.com.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) provides an online forecast of severe thunderstorms and tornados for the immediate 48 hour period.

The Storm Tide Forecasting Service operated by The Met Office gives the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency warnings of higher than predicted tide levels.

Traffic Information for Motorways and Trunk Roads

The individual countries each have services that provide travel information on trunk roads and motorways affected by weather to your desktop:

England – The Highways Agency
Scotland – Traffic Scotland
Wales – Traffic Wales
Northern Ireland – Traffic Watch (NI)