People are being urged to remain vigilant of flooding as more than 150 flood warnings remain in place across England.
Significant flooding is expected to continue in parts of the Midlands, Lincolnshire and on the River Thames, due to the recent prolonged wet weather and intense rainfall.
Parts of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire have seen increased river levels over the past 24 hours, with areas of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire continuing to also be impacted, the Environment Agency has warned.
There are currently 167 flood warnings and 175 flood alerts in place across England.
Heavy rainfall is causing river levels to rise in some parts of the country ⚠
— Environment Agency (@EnvAgency) January 5, 2024
Please stay away from swollen rivers, as the current can be strong enough to sweep you off your feet.
Stay safe and sign up for alerts: https://t.co/fEmOrgjEkn pic.twitter.com/OVXZlH9Pk7
While risks are likely to start reducing, ongoing flood impacts are also likely across much of England over the next five days as some larger rivers slowly respond to recent and forecast rain.
The Environment Agency’s message to the public remains to check their flood risk. Anyone driving is urged to not to go though flood water and follow the advice of local emergency services on the roads.
Katharine Smith, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Significant river flooding impacts are still expected today and over the next few days across parts of the river Thames in Oxfordshire as well as the River Trent near Nottingham and the River Severn including Gloucester.
“The prolonged wet weather and intense rainfall has led to flooding impacts and our thoughts are with all of those affected.
“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, working to minimise the impacts of flooding where possible by operating flood defences and clearing watercourses. So far, more than 62,000 properties have been protected in the last few days.
“We also urge people not to drive though flood water and follow advice of local emergency services on the roads – flood water is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.
“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation as well as following @EnvAgency on X, formerly Twitter, for the latest flood updates.”
How to check for flood warnings near me
If you have experienced a lot of rainfall over the last few days in your area, you might be wondering if there are any flood warnings in place so you can prepare to protect your home and belongings.
Is there a flood warning in place in your area? (Image: GOV.UK/Environment Agency)
You can see the live map on the Environment Agency website here to see if you have a flood warning or alert.
You can enter your town, city or postcode for the most accurate findings.
How to check for long-term flooding in England
You can check for long-term flooding in the country by also checking the Environment Agency website.
Here you can also find out about:
- current flood warnings or alerts
- river, sea, groundwater and rainfall levels
- flood risk in the next five days
Please note, there are different services to check flooding in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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