"The people here are used to being flooded, but not to seeing the water levels rise this much. The situation overtook some of them and they needed to be evacuated."
In England and Wales the Environment Agency operates a flood warning service in areas at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea. Using the latest available technology, our staff monitor rainfall, river levels and sea conditions 24 hours a day and use this information to forecast the possibility of flooding. If flooding is forecast, warnings are issued using a set of four easily recognisable codes.
Each of the four codes indicates the level of danger associated with the warning. The codes are not always used in sequence; for example in the case of a flash flood, a Severe Flood Warning may be issued immediately, with no other warning code preceding it. For a detailed description of each Flood Warning Code, follow the link below.
Many parts of the country are covered by the Environment Agency's full four stage Flood Warning Service. In areas where it is not possible to accurately forecast flooding from rivers or the sea we provide a general early alert for possible flooding for all rivers, streams and watercourses across the whole country, known as Flood Watch. It is similar to the 'Weather Watch' message you see on some TV weather forecasts, but is specific to flooding and is issued via the media. Find out if your area is covered by the full four stage warning or by Flood Watch by calling Floodline 0845 988 1188.
How warnings are issued?
You can also visit our Current Flood Warnings in Force page, which allows you to view flood warnings in place and flood warnings issued. Updated every 15 minutes.
When there is a risk of flooding we issue warnings through the media; they are broadcast on TV weather bulletins and on radio weather and travel reports. Make sure you know which is your local radio station. Flood warnings are also displayed on ITV Teletext regional weather pages (page 159), on BBC Ceefax (page 419) and BBC Ceefax on Digital TV (page 405).
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Direct to your home or workplace
In areas of particular risk, we can send a warning message direct to people at home or at work by phone, text, email, fax or pager using our Automatic Voice Messaging (AVM) Service. We program the system to send warning messages automatically to a list of contact numbers and we can send several hundred messages simultaneously. All types of telephone can receive these messages, including mobile phones. We aim to give two hours' notice of flooding - day or night - to enable people to take the necessary action to protect themselves and their properties.
Some Environment Agency offices use Flood Wardens to alert the local community when a flood warning is issued. The flood warden is contacted directly by the Environment Agency, and passes the information on to neighbours.
Public address, loudhailer or siren systems are used in many flood risk areas to warn the public that a flood warning has been issued in their area. This is particularly valuable in urban areas, where we need to alert large numbers of people as quickly as possible.
The Environment Agency provides the Floodline 0845 988 1188 service. You can listen to recorded flood warning information or speak to an operator for general information and advice 24 hours a day. Using a quickdial number (call Floodline 0845 988 1188 to find out the relevant number for your area) gives you faster access to information in your area.
Where to find out more
Information on how flood warnings are issued in your area can be found in local Flood Directories available from Floodline 0845 988 1188. Or you can view the Local Flood Warning Plan for your area at your nearest Environment Agency or local authority office.
