PLEASE NOTE: This dataset has been retired. It has been superseded by https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/04532375-a198-476e-985e-0579a0a11b47. Links to this data will be removed after April 2025. We encourage users to download this Flood Zones dataset if you would like to retain a comparison ability beyond this date.

The Flood Map for Planning (Rivers and Sea) includes several layers of information. This dataset covers Flood Zone 2 and should not be used without Flood Zone 3. It is our best estimate of the areas of land at risk of flooding, when the presence of flood defences are ignored and covers land between Zone 3 and the extent of the flooding from rivers or the sea with a 1 in 1000 (0.1%) chance of flooding each year. This dataset also includes those areas defined in Flood Zone 3.

This dataset is designed to support flood risk assessments in line with Planning Practice Guidance ; and raise awareness of the likelihood of flooding to encourage people living and working in areas prone to flooding to find out more and take appropriate action.

The information provided is largely based on modelled data and is therefore indicative rather than specific. Locations may also be at risk from other sources of flooding, such as high groundwater levels, overland run off from heavy rain, or failure of infrastructure such as sewers and storm drains.

The information indicates the flood risk to areas of land and is not sufficiently detailed to show whether an individual property is at risk of flooding, therefore properties may not always face the same chance of flooding as the areas that surround them. This is because we do not hold details about properties and their floor levels. Information on flood depth, speed or volume of flow is not included.

Flood Risk Areas:This metadata record is for Approval for Access product AfA256. Flood Risk Areas identify locations where there is believed to be significant flood risk. The EU Floods Directive refers to Flood Risk Areas as 'Areas of Potentially Significant Flood Risk' (APSFR). Flood Risk Areas have been defined by the Environment Agency (main rivers and the sea) and Lead Local Flood Authorities (surface water). Other sources of flooding are not covered. This dataset includes Flood Risk Areas defined for both Cycle 1 (December 2011) and Cycle 2 (December 2018). The criteria used to determine significance are explained in supporting guidance document supplied with this data. Flood Risk Areas determine where Flood Hazard and Risk Maps and Flood Risk Management Plans must subsequently be produced to meet obligations under the EU Floods Directive. INFORMATION WARNING Flood Risk Areas are designed to meet the needs of the European Floods Directive. They are designed for broad planning purposes only and are not appropriate for any other type of flood mapping. Other flood mapping is available which is more appropriate to showing localised flood risk.Flood Warning Areas:This record is for Approval for Access product AfA054 Flood Warning Areas. These are geographical areas where we expect flooding to occur and where we provide a Flood Warning Service. They generally contain properties that are expected to flood from rivers or the sea and in some areas, from groundwater. Specifically, Flood Warning Areas define locations within the Flood Warning Service Limit that represent a discrete community at risk of flooding.Flood Warnings are issued when flooding is expected to occur, Severe Flood Warnings are issued to similar areas when there is a danger to life or widespread disruption is expected.INFORMATION WARNING: Groundwater flood warning areas are property based, usually containing a discrete urban area, suburb, city, village, or hamlet and were created in various ways. In general specialists used the national groundwater dataset, historical maps, bedrock geology and records of properties affected by groundwater flooding in the past to create the groundwater flood warning areas. Additional data sources, including groundwater susceptibility maps, borehole data, local modelling and LiDAR may also have been used depending on the location of the area.Flood Warning Areas can be created, amended, or deleted at certain times in the year. This dataset was last updated on:20th November 2024The scheduled updates where changes may be introduced are:21st February 202422nd May 2024 - due to the ongoing flooding, this was postponed until June 5th14th August 2024 and20th November 2024Please note that these dates may change at short notice if there are system issues or a large-scale flood event.Flood Alert Areas:This record is for Approval for Access product AfA055. Flood Alert Areas are geographical areas where it is possible for flooding of low-lying land and roads to occur from rivers, sea and in some locations groundwater. A single Flood Alert Area may cover the floodplain within the Flood Warning Service Limit of multiple catchments of similar characteristics. A Flood Alert Area may contain one or more Flood Warning Areas. In some coastal locations a Flood Alert may be issued for spray or overtopping and be defined by a stretch of coastline.A Flood Alert is issued to warn people of the possibility of flooding and encourage them to be alert, stay vigilant and make early / low impact preparations for flooding. Flood Alerts are issued earlier than Flood Warnings to provide advance notice of the possibility of flooding and may be issued when there is less confidence that flooding will occur in a Food Warning Area. Flood Warnings Areas (established to apply to discrete communities) are available in AfA054.INFORMATION WARNING: The groundwater flood alert areas are either at a community/local scale, or where this is not possible are more generalised and based on other factors, such as geology and counties. In general, specialists used the national groundwater dataset to make a comparison with historical maps and bedrock geology to create the groundwater flood alert areas. Additional data sources, including groundwater susceptibility maps, borehole data, local modelling and LiDAR may also have been used depending on the location of the area.Flood Alert Areas can be created, amended, or deleted at certain times in the year. This dataset was last updated on:November 20th 2024The scheduled updates where changes may be introduced are:21st February 202422nd May 2024 - Due to the ongoing flooding, this was postponed until June 5th14th August 2024 and20th November 2024Please note that these dates may change at short notice if there are system issues or a large-scale flood event.

The Flood Map for Planning Service includes several layers of information. This includes the Flood Zones data which shows the extent of land at present day risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, ignoring the benefits of defences, for the following scenarios:

• Flood Zone 1 – Land having a less than 0.1% (1 in 1000) annual probability of flooding. • Flood Zone 2 – Land having between 0.1% - 1% (1 in 100 to 1 in 1000) annual probability of flooding from rivers or between 0.1% - 0.5% (1 in 200 to 1 in 1000) annual probability of flooding from the sea, and accepted recorded flood outlines . • Flood Zone 3 – Areas shown to be at a 1% (1 in 100) or greater annual probability of flooding from rivers or 0.5% (1 in 200) or greater annual probability of flooding from the sea.

Flood Zone 1 is not shown in this dataset, but covers all areas not contained within Flood Zones 2 and 3. Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) use the Flood Zones to determine if they must consult the Environment Agency on planning applications. They are also used to determine if development is incompatible and whether development is subject to the exception test. The Flood Zones are one of several flood risk datasets used to determine the need for planning applications to be supported by a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and subject to the sequential test.

The Flood Zones are a composite dataset including national and local modelled data, and information from past floods.

The Flood Zones are designed to only give an indication of flood risk to an area of land and are not suitable for showing whether an individual property is at risk of flooding. This is because we cannot know all the details about each property.

Set of shapefiles defining Indicative Flood Risk Areas for local risk. Indicative Flood Risk Areas are provided by the Environment Agency for use by Lead Local Flood Authorities in England in their review during 2017 of Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments and Flood Risk Areas under the Flood Risk Regulations.

The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”. These are 1km grids across England and consist of the following data layers:

• Surface Water Flood Risk Exposure Grid – 1km square grid that shows places above the flood risk threshold defined, using the 1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability (deep) Flood Map for Surface Water. • Flood risk thresholds used to generate the “blue Squares”: - Number of people > 200 - Number of critical services, including electricity and water > 1 - Number of non-residential properties > 20 • Cluster Maps – are aggregations of 3km by 3km squares that each contain at least 5 touching "blue squares" (i.e. 1km grid squares where one of the thresholds above is exceeded) • Communities at Risk by Lead Local Flooding Authority • People Sensitivity Map by Lead Local Flood Authority. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2016. All rights reserved. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

Public Awareness of Flood Risk: the Role of the Environment Agency Flood Map, 2006-2007 aims to investigate how ‘official’ information translates into public understanding and action, using the example of the Environment Agency's (EA) flood map web site. The study has two different elements; a web survey and flood map experiments.

The web survey was delivered on-line from the EA servers, with a portal on the flood map site. Users of the EA web page were asked to complete the survey which resulted in 1,395 valid responses. Questions were asked about the EA website and in particular the flood map.

The flood map experiments were in-depth interviews with 51 respondents from specially selected case study areas which had different degrees of flood experience. Individuals were asked to work through online flood map material and their responses to specific questions were recorded. The case study areas where: Brockenhurst, Hampshire (9 participants - inland river flooding/moderate risk); Hambeldon, Hampshire (11 participants – recent groundwater flooding/high risk), Carlisle, Cumbria (13 participants – recent inland river flooding/high risk), and a control population of university environmental management students representing highly informed users with low current risk - Portsmouth University (18 participants).

Further information is available from the ESRC award web page.


Main Topics:

Web survey: provides an assessment of user experience of the flood information service, and profile of the user community.

Flood map experiments: provides in-depth understanding of individual user experience of the flood map looking particularly at preferences regarding the search for flood risk information and information format, base mapping (scale, style, navigation etc) and presentation mode (colour, transparency, interactivity etc).

PLEASE NOTE: This dataset has been retired. It has been superseded by https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/04532375-a198-476e-985e-0579a0a11b47. Links to this data will be removed after April 2025. We encourage users to download this Flood Zones dataset if you would like to retain a comparison ability beyond this date.

The Flood Map for Planning (Rivers and Sea) includes several layers of information. This dataset covers Flood Zone 3. It is our best estimate of the areas of land at risk of flooding, when the presence of flood defences are ignored and covers land with a 1 in 100 (1%) or greater chance of flooding each year from Rivers; or with a 1 in 200 (0.5%) or greater chance of flooding each year from the Sea.

This dataset is designed to support flood risk assessments in line with Planning Practice Guidance; and raise awareness of the likelihood of flooding to encourage people living and working in areas prone to flooding to find out more and take appropriate action.

The information provided is largely based on modelled data and is therefore indicative rather than specific.

Locations may also be at risk from other sources of flooding, such as high groundwater levels, overland run off from heavy rain, or failure of infrastructure such as sewers and storm drains.

The information indicates the flood risk to areas of land and is not sufficiently detailed to show whether an individual property is at risk of flooding, therefore properties may not always face the same chance of flooding as the areas that surround them. This is because we do not hold details about properties and their floor levels.

Information on flood depth, speed or volume of flow is not included. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2023. All rights reserved.

Some features of this map are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH)

These 3 layers show the extent of flooding from surface water that could result from a flood with a 3.3% (1 in 30), 1% (1 in 100), and 0.1% (1 in 1000) chance of happening in any given year.Surface water flooding happens when rainwater does not drain away through the normal drainage systems or soak into the ground, but lies on or flows over the ground instead. Managing the risk of flooding from surface water is the responsibility of lead local flood authorities (LLFA). The LLFA is the unitary authority or if there is no unitary authority, the county council for the area.The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for publishing surface water flood risk maps however mapping of surface water flood risk areas is responsibility of LLFAs. We, the EA, produced the Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (RoFSW) map on behalf of LLFAs, using their input and information. It assesses flooding scenarios as a result of rainfall with a 3.3% (1 in 30), 1% (1 in 100), or 0.1% (1 in 1000) chance of occurring each year. Although surface water flood risk information is not suitable for identifying whether an individual property will flood it does gives an indication of the broad areas likely to be affected.More information - What is the Risk of Flooding from Surface map

PLEASE NOTE: this dataset has been retired. It has been superseded by data for Flood Risk Areas: https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/f3d63ec5-a21a-49fb-803a-0fa0fb7238b6

Shapefile for Indicative Flood Risk Areas generated using the Environment Agency's Communities at Risk Approach. This information is provided by the Environment Agency for use by LLFAs in their review during 2017 of Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments and Flood Risk Areas under the Flood Risk Areas. it must be used in conjunction with data for Indicative Flood Risk Areas generated by the Environment Agency using the cluster method as well.

The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”.

This dataset is a component of Indicative Flood Risk Areas (shapefiles)

A bundle download of all Indicative Flood Risk Areas spatial datasets is also available from this record. Please see individual records for full details and metadata on each product.Aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface WaterClick Here to go straight to the DSP Metadata Page for this Dataset.

The Flood Map for Planning (Rivers and Sea) includes several layers of information. This dataset covers Flood Zone 2 and should not be used without Flood Zone 3. It is our best estimate of the areas of land at risk of flooding, when the presence of flood defences are ignored and covers land between Zone 3 and the extent of the flooding from rivers or the sea with a 1 in 1000 (0.1%) chance of flooding each year. This dataset also includes those areas defined in Flood Zone 3.This dataset is designed to support flood risk assessments in line with Planning Practice Guidance ; and raise awareness of the likelihood of flooding to encourage people living and working in areas prone to flooding to find out more and take appropriate action.The information provided is largely based on modelled data and is therefore indicative rather than specific. Locations may also be at risk from other sources of flooding, such as high groundwater levels, overland run off from heavy rain, or failure of infrastructure such as sewers and storm drains.The information indicates the flood risk to areas of land and is not sufficiently detailed to show whether an individual property is at risk of flooding, therefore properties may not always face the same chance of flooding as the areas that surround them. This is because we do not hold details about properties and their floor levels. Information on flood depth, speed or volume of flow is not included.NOTE: We have paused quarterly updates of this dataset. Please visit the “Pause to Updates of Flood Risk Maps” announcement on our support pages for further information. We will provide notifications on the Flood Map for Planning website to indicate where we have new flood risk information. Other data related to the Flood Map for Planning will continue to be updated, including data relating to flood history, flood defences, and water storage areas.Defra Network WMS server provided by the Environment Agency

The Flood Map for Planning (Rivers and Sea) includes several layers of information. This dataset covers Flood Zone 3. It is our best estimate of the areas of land at risk of flooding, when the presence of flood defences are ignored and covers land with a 1 in 100 (1%) or greater chance of flooding each year from Rivers; or with a 1 in 200 (0.5%) or greater chance of flooding each year from the Sea.

This dataset is designed to support flood risk assessments in line with Planning Practice Guidance; and raise awareness of the likelihood of flooding to encourage people living and working in areas prone to flooding to find out more and take appropriate action.

The information provided is largely based on modelled data and is therefore indicative rather than specific.

Locations may also be at risk from other sources of flooding, such as high groundwater levels, overland run off from heavy rain, or failure of infrastructure such as sewers and storm drains.

The information indicates the flood risk to areas of land and is not sufficiently detailed to show whether an individual property is at risk of flooding, therefore properties may not always face the same chance of flooding as the areas that surround them. This is because we do not hold details about properties and their floor levels.

Information on flood depth, speed or volume of flow is not included. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2018. All rights reserved. © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 100024198

Indicative Flood Risk Areas generated using the Environment Agency's Communities at Risk Approach. This information is provided by the Environment Agency for use by LLFAs in their review during 2017 of Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments and Flood Risk Areas under the Flood Risk Areas. It must be used in conjunction with data for Indicative Flood Risk Areas generated by the Environment Agency using the cluster method as well. The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”. Defra Network WMS server provided by the Environment Agency

This dataset consists of an interactive map (and supporting guidance) containing background information that informs how we understand flood risk across the Thames River Basin District. The map shows the River Basin District, component river basins and the coastline together with layers showing land use and topography.

This dataset together with equivalent datasets for each River Basin District, supports the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for England report which has been written to meet the requirements of the Flood Risk Regulations (2009) - to complete an assessment of flood risk and produce supporting maps of river catchments. Attribution statement: Open Government Licence

© Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2018. All rights reserved. © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 100024198 © Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. Some features of this map are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, British Antarctic Survey and British Geological Survey. © NERC (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; British Antarctic Survey; British Geological Survey).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

This dataset consists of an interactive map (and supporting guidance) containing background information that informs how we understand flood risk across the South West River Basin District. The map shows the River Basin District, component river basins and the coastline together with layers showing land use and topography.

This dataset together with equivalent datasets for each River Basin District, supports the Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment for England report which has been written to meet the requirements of the Flood Risk Regulations (2009) - to complete an assessment of flood risk and produce supporting maps of river catchments.

Shapefile for Indicative Flood Risk Areas generated using the Environment Agency's Communities at Risk Approach. This information is provided by the Environment Agency for use by LLFAs in their review during 2017 of Preliminary Flood Risk Assessments and Flood Risk Areas under the Flood Risk Areas. it must be used in conjunction with data for Indicative Flood Risk Areas generated by the Environment Agency using the cluster method as well.

The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”.

This dataset is a component of Indicative Flood Risk Areas (shapefiles)

A bundle download of all Indicative Flood Risk Areas spatial datasets is also available from this record. Please see individual records for full details and metadata on each product. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2016. All rights reserved.

PLEASE NOTE: this dataset has been retired. It has been superseded by data for Flood Risk Areas: https://environment.data.gov.uk/dataset/f3d63ec5-a21a-49fb-803a-0fa0fb7238b6

The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”.

This dataset is a component of Indicative Flood Risk Areas (shapefiles)

A bundle download of all Indicative Flood Risk Areas spatial datasets is also available from this record. Please see individual records for full details and metadata on each product. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2016. All rights reserved.

The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”.

• Cluster Maps – are aggregations of 3km by 3km squares that each contain at least 4 (in Wales) or 5 (in England) touching "blue squares" (i.e. 1km grid squares where one of the thresholds above is exceeded)

This dataset forms part of Indicative Flood Risk Areas (shapefiles)

A bundle download of all Indicative Flood Risk Areas spatial datasets is also available from this record. Please see individual records for full details and metadata on each product. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2016. All rights reserved.

This dataset is not suitable for identifying whether an individual property will flood. GIS layer giving a suitability rating which represents the scale at which it is generally appropriate to use this information to assess flood risk. It is based on the confidence in the modelling at that location. Always consult this layer when using any RoFSW output products. This dataset is one output of our Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (RoFSW) mapping, previously known as the updated Flood Map for Surface Water (uFMfSW). It is one of a group of datasets previously available as the uFMfSW Complex Package. Further information on using these datasets can be found at the Resource Locator link below. Information Warnings: Risk of Flooding from Surface Water is not to be used at property level. If the Content is displayed in map form to others we recommend it should not be used with basemapping more detailed than 1:10,000 as the data is open to misinterpretation if used as a more detailed scale. Because of the way they have been produced and the fact that they are indicative, the maps are not appropriate to act as the sole evidence for any specific planning or regulatory decision or assessment of risk in relation to flooding at any scale without further supporting studies or evidence. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. All rights reserved.

Some features of this information are based on digital spatial data licensed from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology © NERC (CEH). Defra, Met Office and DARD Rivers Agency © Crown copyright. © Cranfield University. © James Hutton Institute. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2015. Land & Property Services © Crown copyright and database right

The Indicative Flood Risk Areas are primarily based on an aggregated 1km square grid Updated Flood Map for Surface Water (1 in 100 and 1000 annual probability rainfall), informally referred to as the “blue square map”.

This dataset is a component of Indicative Flood Risk Areas (shapefiles)

A bundle download of all Indicative Flood Risk Areas spatial datasets is also available from this record. Please see individual records for full details and metadata on each product. Attribution statement: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2016. All rights reserved.