Understanding your future flood risk

The Environment Agency updated our flood risk information in January 2025. For the first time, this includes how flood risk might change due to climate change. You can check the flood risk in your area by visiting this website: Check Your Long-Term Flood Risk. We also provide information on what you can do to prepare for a flood here:

The frequency and severity of flooding and storms will get worse with climate change. For the first time our new national flood risk assessment also identifies areas that may be at risk of flooding in the future. This note provides more information on how we produced these new flood risk maps and what they mean for you. It covers flood risk from rivers, the sea, and surface water.

Flooding is becoming more frequent and intense

Climate change is leading to higher sea levels, more intense rainfall, and more frequent storms. We are already seeing many of these changes and they are consistently shown in climate modelling. These changes will increase the chance and impacts of flooding in many locations. How big the increase in flood risk will be depends on many factors, many of which are uncertain. We have created new data to show the potential impact of climate change on the chance of flooding, so that people are informed and can prepare. What your future flood risk means We estimate the flood risk in your area based on the evidence available to us: • 'High' means more than 3.3% (1 in 30) chance of a flood each year. • 'Medium' means between 1% (1 in 100) and 3.3% (1 in 30) chance of a flood each year. • 'Low' means between 0.1% (1 in 1000) and 1% (1 in 100) chance of a flood each year. • 'Very low' means less than 0.1% (1 in 1000) chance of a flood each year. Our new maps provide an indication of what may happen in the future. We make assumptions about the future, including about how the climate will change and what flood defences will be present.