Get flood risk data
How to access flood risk data
We use a range of datasets to produce flood risk results in the "check your long term flood risk" service.
Technical users can find and download the datasets and put them into their own GIS or internal systems by following the links on this page.
You can also search for the datasets on the Data Services Platform (DSP) .
Once you’ve chosen a dataset you can select an area on the map and download the whole dataset or an area of interest.
What data you can get
You can find and access data on flood risk from:
- rivers and the sea
- surface water
- reservoirs
The datasets are not suitable for identifying whether an individual property will flood.
Rivers and the sea data
The following dataset shows the chance of flooding from rivers and the sea, presented as 4 likelihood categories:
Surface water data
There are a series of surface water datasets available, including:
- extent of flooding
- velocity (including speed, direction and depth of flooding)
The surface water datasets on the DSP do not include the 15 metre marker used on the "check your long term flood risk" service.
Extent of flooding
The following datasets show the extent of flooding from surface water that could result from a flood in low, medium and high risk scenarios:
- low – risk of flooding from surface water extent: 0.1% annual chance
- medium – risk of flooding from surface water extent: 1% annual chance
- high - risk of flooding from surface water extent: 3.3% annual chance
Direction of flood water
The following datasets are based on a 25m grid. They show the direction of flooding from surface water that could result from a flood in low, medium and high risk scenarios:
- low – risk of flooding from surface water direction (25m): 0.1% annual chance
- medium – risk of flooding from surface water direction (25m): 1% annual chance
- high – risk of flooding from surface water direction (25m): 3.3% annual chance
You can also use the following datasets, which are based on a 2m grid:
- low – risk of flooding from surface water direction (2m): 0.1% annual chance
- medium – risk of flooding from surface water direction (2m): 1% annual chance
- high – risk of flooding from surface water direction (2m): 3.3% annual chance
Speed of flood water
The following datasets show the speed of flooding from surface water that could result from a flood in low, medium and high risk scenarios:
- low – risk of flooding from surface water speed: 0.1% annual chance
- medium – risk of flooding from surface water speed: 1% annual chance
- high – risk of flooding from surface water speed: 3.3% annual chance
Depth of flood water
The following datasets show the depth of flooding from surface water that could result from a flood in low, medium and high risk scenarios:
- low – risk of flooding from surface water depth: 0.1% annual chance
- medium – risk of flooding from surface water depth: 1% annual chance
- high – risk of flooding from surface water depth: 3.3% annual chance
About the data modelling
The following dataset shows information about the computer modelling used in an area:
Scale and suitability of the data
The following dataset gives a suitability rating, which tells you what scale the information should be used at:
Reservoir data
The following datasets show the predicted extent of flooding if reservoirs fail when nearby rivers:
- are at normal levels – reservoir flood extents - dry day (national)
- have burst their banks – reservoir flood extents - wet day (national)
Groundwater data
We do not have modelled data for groundwater flooding.
We use flood alert data to check the risk of flooding from groundwater.