Guest, Sign inJoin
Market Street in LeicesterPhoto: Mat Fascione · CC BY-SA 2.0
C−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Leicester · Environment Agency

In Leicester, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 7%, against 2.1%

On the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences, “high or medium” means at least a 1 in 100 chance of flooding from rivers or the sea in any year. Leicester’s Hazard risk Grade is C−: #45 of 50 in Leicestershire.

2024worst recorded flood76flood warnings since 200648%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Leicester’s hazards

From the Environment Agency’s maps and records and the BGS radon atlas, below.

Rain, more than the river7% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 2.1% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2024Floodwater covered 15 hectares of today’s Leicester in 2024; 440 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.The River Sence ran its highest in January 20253.65 m at South Wigston on 6 January 2025, 0 cm under the record set in 2025.76 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Leicester the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 28 February 2026.
By hazard

What Leicester faces

Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.

Rivers and the sea

2.1%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 80% of towns
3,203 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

7%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 83% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 2.1%

Past floods

5years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: January 2025
440 households inside past outlines

The River Sence

2.77 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at South Wigston
2nd-highest of 35 winters
Record 3.65 m, January 2025

Flood warnings

76flood warnings since 2006
428 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 28 February 2026

Radon

48%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 3–5% of homes
No square of 5% or more
Not on this page: coastal erosion, subsidence and shrink-swell ground (the British Geological Survey licenses it), groundwater flooding and reservoir failure.
Hazard risk Grade

Leicester grades C− for hazard risk

Flood risk from rivers and the sea, against all UK towns.

Homes at high or medium flood risk (2.1%)Fewer than 20% of UK towns

The share of homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea, ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more: fewer homes at risk is better. Towns with none at high or medium risk are ordered by their share at low risk, so they don’t all share one score. Surface water and radon aren’t graded: they are described below.

Flood map

Where the water goes in Leicester

Turn layers on and off. Blue is the risk from rivers and the sea; pink is where heavy rain collects. Both allow for flood defences.

River Sence: 1947Rothley Brook: 1977Recorded flood: 2023Recorded flood: 2024Recorded flood: 2025© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterLeicester’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the Rothley Brook, the Quorn Brook and the Sileby Brook. Surface-water risk is spread across the city, in dips, underpasses and along small streams, which is why more homes are exposed to it.

Rivers and the sea

2.1% of Leicester’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 4.5% are at low risk.

High risk0.7%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more1,156 homes, EA count
Medium risk1.4%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 1002,047 homes, EA count
Low risk4.5%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0007,017 homes, EA count
Where Leicester sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%
11%2–5%Leicester
5%5–10%
3%10–20%
2%20% +

Share of each UK town’s homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. 35% of UK towns have none; Leicester has more than 80% of towns.

Towns its size: 24th of 27 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Southwark London307,0760%
2Newham London351,065under 0.1%
3Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear286,4720.2%
…
22Greenwich London288,1172%
23Bromley London325,4692%
24Leicester Leicestershire406,6122.1%
25Wandsworth London326,7252.1%
26Lewisham London300,7643.6%
27Nottingham Nottinghamshire299,7863.6%

UK towns of 285,000 to 569,000 people.

The Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea (NaFRA2, June 2026) counts each postcode’s homes by band; the shares weight those postcodes by Census 2021 households. The EA counts include homes built since 2021.

Surface water

Heavy rain puts about 3.3 times as many Leicester homes at risk as rivers and the sea do

Surface water is rain that falls faster than drains and the ground can take it. It is mapped separately from rivers and the sea, and it is not in the Hazard risk Grade.

Surface water7%
Rivers and the sea2.1%
0%10.5%21% of homes

About 3.2% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 3.8% at medium risk: roughly 10,010 households. A further 12% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 83% of UK towns.

~10,010
households at high or medium risk
12%
of homes at low risk
83%
of UK towns have a smaller share
183,816
addresses read on the map

Our estimate: every address in the city (ONS NSUL) read on the Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Surface Water map (NaFRA2, 2025), each postcode’s share weighted by its Census 2021 households. Neither agency publishes a count of homes for surface water, so treat it as a guide; one street can differ from the next.

Flood history

Leicester has flooded in 5 recorded years since 1947, most of all in 2024

Every flood the Environment Agency has mapped inside Leicester’s built-up area, newest first. The record is fullest for big river floods; small and surface-water floods are often missing.

  1. 2025January 2025: River flooding recorded10 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Glen Parva
  2. 2024January 2024: River flooding recorded15 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Rushey Mead
  3. 2023October 2023: River flooding recorded1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  4. 1977February 1977: The Rothley Brook overflowed12 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Rothley Brook
  5. 1947January 1947: The River Sence overflowed1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 202415 ha

Floodwater covered 15 hectares of what is now Leicester in 2024, the largest flood the record holds here (January).

440 of Leicester’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2024, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 10 hectares.

River levels

The River Sence in January 2025 rose to its highest level since 1990

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s South Wigston gauge (South Wigston), since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.60 m and 1.61 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 2.42 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 2.70 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 2.70 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 2.55 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 2.64 m · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 1.73 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 1.66 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 2.60 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 2.53 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 2.24 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 2.74 m · 28 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 2.65 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 2.55 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 2.08 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 1.95 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 2.15 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 2.67 m · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 2.65 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 2.15 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 1.94 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 1.80 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 2.52 m · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 2.76 m · 29 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 2.62 m · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.79 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 2.77 m on 9 March 2016 · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 2.58 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 2.58 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 2.27 m · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 2.76 m on 15 October 2019 · 40 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 2.68 m · 41 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 2.39 m · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 2.43 m · 33 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 3.21 m on 2 January 2024 · 68 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 2.77 m on 28 February 2026 · 53 days above the normal range’23–24’25–26Record 3.65 m, 2025Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 6 January 20253.65 m
  • 2 January 20243.21 m
  • 20 October 20233.04 m
  • 2 October 20242.97 m
  • 24 September 20242.97 m
  • 28 February 20262.77 m

The River Sence has topped its normal range on 577 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2023–24 and 2025–26. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 2nd-highest of the 35.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, South Wigston (station 4086), daily maximum level; the record and normal range from the EA’s stage scale. Live river levels are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding.

Flood warnings

No flood warning or alert is in force for Leicester · 76 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 20 flood warning areas and 4 alert areas reaching into the city; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Leicester (checked 14 November 2026, 10:54). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Leicester
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Flood warning (flooding expected)Flood alert (flooding possible)

The warning area covering the most of Leicester, River Soar at Leicester City, has not had a flood warning since 2006. Of the 76 warnings, 24 were for Rothley Brook at Glenfield and Anstey and 7 for Rivers Wreake and Soar for riverside properties near Syston and Birstall.

2024 had the most warnings (24); 2007 the most alerts (66). The most recent warning was on 28 February 2026.

Show the 24 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
Rothley Brook at Glenfield and AnsteyWarning area24None
Rivers Wreake and Soar for riverside properties near Syston and BirstallWarning area7None
Lubbesthorpe and Thorpe Astley Brooks at Braunstone TownWarning area6None
River Soar at North AylestoneWarning area4None
River Soar at BraunstoneWarning area4None
Bushby Brook at Thurnby in Leicester CityWarning area4None
River Soar at Frog Island and riverside areas of LeicesterWarning area3None
River Soar, Willow Brook and Melton Brook at BelgraveWarning area3None
River Soar at AylestoneWarning area3None
River Sence at Blaby and Glen ParvaWarning area3None
River Soar at Rushey MeadWarning area3None
River Soar at Leicester Abbey MeadowsWarning area3None
Bushby Brook at Thurncourt, Evington and North Evington in Leicester CityWarning area3None
Thurnby Brook at Thurnby in Leicester CityWarning area3None
Melton Brook at Rushey Mead in Leicester CityWarning area2None
Evington Brook at North Evington and Spinney Hills in Leicester CityWarning area1None
River Soar at ThurmastonWarning area0None
River Soar at Leicester CityWarning area0None
Willow Brook at North Evington and Belgrave in Leicester CityWarning area0None
Braunstone Brook at Leicester CityWarning area0None
Upper Soar catchmentAlert area181None
River Sence in LeicestershireAlert area136None
Rothley Brook, Quorn Brook and Sileby Brook in LeicestershireAlert area81None
Tributaries in Leicester CityAlert area30None

Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (first issues only, not updates; “flood watch” counted as an alert before 2011) and the real-time flood-monitoring API. Sign up for free warnings on GOV.UK or call Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Radon

Parts of Leicester are in radon Affected Areas, at the low end

Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground; long exposure raises the risk of lung cancer. The atlas gives the chance that a home in each 1 km square is above the UK action level (200 Bq/m³).

SK5204: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5205: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5206: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5302: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5303: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5304: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5305: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5306: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP5499: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5400: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5401: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5402: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5403: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5404: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5405: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5406: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5407: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP5599: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5500: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5501: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5502: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5503: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5504: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5505: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5506: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5507: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5508: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5698: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5699: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5600: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5601: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5602: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5603: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5604: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5605: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5606: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5607: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5608: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5609: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5797: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5798: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5799: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5700: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5701: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5702: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5703: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5704: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5705: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5706: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5707: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5708: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5709: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5897: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP5898: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSP5899: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5800: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5801: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5802: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5803: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5804: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5805: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5806: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5807: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5808: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5809: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSP5999: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5900: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK5901: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK5902: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5903: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK5904: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5905: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5906: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5907: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK5908: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6000: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6001: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6002: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6003: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6004: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6005: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6006: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6007: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6008: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6100: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6101: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6102: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6103: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6104: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6105: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6106: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6107: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6108: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSK6202: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6203: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6204: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6205: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6206: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6207: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6208: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6302: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6303: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6304: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6305: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6306: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6307: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSK6403: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6404: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6405: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6406: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6407: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6503: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6504: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6505: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSK6506: 1–3% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes52%
1–3% of homes31%
3–5% of homes17%

48% of Leicester’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level).

The squares are indicative: each takes the highest band found anywhere inside it, so most homes in a coloured square are below it. Only a three-month test in the home gives a real answer.

BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3. Check an address at UKradon.org.

Neighbours

Flood risk in the places around Leicester

Share of homes at high or medium and at low risk from rivers and the sea. Tap a town for its page.

Thurmaston: Hazard risk BBirstall: Hazard risk AOadby: Hazard risk C+Wigston: Hazard risk BThurcaston: Hazard risk AAnstey: Hazard risk BLeicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe: Hazard risk B−ThurmastonBirstallOadbyWigstonThurcastonAnsteyLeicester Forest East and Kirby MuxloeLeicester
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Leicester406,6122.1%4.5%C−
Thurmaston9,509under 0.1%3.3%B
Birstall14,3170%0%A
Oadby24,0390.6%0.8%C+
Wigston34,728under 0.1%0.3%B
Thurcaston1,6490%0%A
Anstey7,043under 0.1%0.5%B
Leicester Forest East and Kirby Muxloe13,8470.3%0.4%B−

Leicester has more homes at high or medium risk than any neighbour in the table. Birstall and Thurcaston have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Leicester faces

Free warnings, what to do in a cloudburst, and what to check before you move.

Get the warnings
  • Sign up free for Environment Agency flood warnings by text, call or email.
  • Floodline: 0345 988 1188, 24 hours.
  • Leicester’s warning areas include River Soar at Leicester City and Willow Brook at North Evington and Belgrave in Leicester City.
Sign up ↗
In a cloudburst
  • Surface water rises in minutes, often with no warning issued: stay out of underpasses and dips.
  • Keep the gullies and drains outside your home clear of leaves.
  • Report a blocked road drain to the council.
Radon
  • Test over three months, in a living room and a bedroom.
  • Above 200 Bq/m³, a small sump and fan usually fixes it.
  • New homes in radon areas are built with protection: basic from 3%, full from 10%.
UKradon ↗
Before you buy or rent in Leicester
  • Check the address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service: it gives rivers and sea and surface water separately.
  • Ask whether the home has flooded or had a flood insurance claim; the TA6 property form asks the seller.
  • Homes built before 2009 can get flood cover through Flood Re, the government-backed scheme; newer homes can’t.
  • Check radon for the address on UKradon.org (a small fee) or ask the seller for a test result.
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Defences are counted. Both agencies’ maps allow for flood defences and the chance they are overtopped or fail, so a town behind a defence scheme can show few homes at high risk and many at low risk.
  • Surface water is our estimate. Neither agency publishes a count of homes at risk from surface water, so we read each address on the map. A flat on a hill and a basement in a dip can share a postcode.
  • Past floods are what was recorded. The flood outlines come from surveys, aerial photographs and reports; many small floods, and most surface-water floods, were never mapped.
  • One town, many streets. Risk is street by street. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service before you buy or rent.

Check the long-term flood risk for an address on GOV.UK →

Questions about flooding and hazards in Leicester

Does Leicester flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in January 2025. 2.1% of homes are at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea on the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences. About 7% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Leicester grades C− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Leicester are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: Rothley Brook at Glenfield and Anstey, Rivers Wreake and Soar for riverside properties near Syston and Birstall, Lubbesthorpe and Thorpe Astley Brooks at Braunstone Town and River Soar at North Aylestone. Surface water can collect in low spots anywhere in the city. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service.

When did Leicester last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1947 to 2025 (5 years); the largest was in 2024. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 28 February 2026.

Is Leicester at risk of surface water flooding?

About 3.2% of homes are at high risk and 3.8% at medium risk from surface water, against 2.1% at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. Surface water floods come with little warning, and the agencies don’t issue warnings for them.

Is radon a problem in Leicester?

48% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas. Most homes are below it; a three-month test is the only way to know.

Are there flood warnings in Leicester now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Leicester at 14 November 2026, 10:54. Live warnings are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding service and Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right 2026. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026.

Sources: Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea, postcodes in areas at risk (June 2026); Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales (May 2026); ONS Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (NaFRA2, 2025) and Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales surface water and small watercourses, read at every address (ONS National Statistics UPRN Lookup, September 2026) and weighted by Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Recorded Flood Outlines and Natural Resources Wales historic flood map, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Environment Agency Hydrology API (daily maximum river level) and flood-monitoring stage scales · Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring API · Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (January 2006 to June 2026) and flood warning and alert areas · BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3, by 1 km square · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.