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B−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Bradford · Environment Agency

Heavy rain is Bradford’s main flood risk: 3.1% of homes, against 0.3% from rivers or the sea

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. Bradford’s Hazard risk Grade is B−: #38 of 91 in West Yorkshire.

2015worst recorded flood3flood warnings since 200698%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Bradford’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river3.1% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 0.3% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2015Floodwater covered 21 hectares of today’s Bradford in 2015; 40 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.3 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Bradford the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 20 October 2023.Radon in parts16% of the city is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Bradford faces

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

Rivers and the sea

0.3%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 53% of towns
644 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

3.1%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 43% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 0.3%

Past floods

5years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: February 2020
40 households inside past outlines

The River Aire

1.61 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Apperley Bridge
23rd-highest of 24 winters
Record 3.80 m, December 2015

Flood warnings

3flood warnings since 2006
270 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 20 October 2023

Radon

98%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 5–10% of homes
16% in squares 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

Bradford grades B− for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (0.3%)Fewer than 46% 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 Bradford

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.

Recorded flood: 1978Recorded flood: 2000River Aire: 2002Recorded flood: 2015Recorded flood: 2020© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterBradford’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Aire, the Bradford Beck and the Batley Beck. 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

0.3% of Bradford’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 0.1% are at low risk.

High risk0.2%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more529 homes, EA count
Medium riskunder 0.1%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100115 homes, EA count
Low risk0.1%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000163 homes, EA count
Where Bradford sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%Bradford
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%
11%2–5%
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; Bradford has more than 53% of towns.

Towns its size: 8th of 37 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Southwark London307,0760%
2Newham London351,065under 0.1%
3Wolverhampton West Midlands234,029under 0.1%
…
6Newcastle upon Tyne Tyne and Wear286,4720.2%
7Coventry West Midlands344,2890.3%
8Bradford West Yorkshire333,9680.3%
9Hounslow London286,5910.3%
10Northampton Northamptonshire243,5270.3%
…
36Nottingham Nottinghamshire299,7863.6%
37Kingston upon Hull East Riding of Yorkshire270,8166.3%

UK towns of 234,000 to 468,000 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 9.8 times as many Bradford 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 water3.1%
Rivers and the sea0.3%
0%7%14% of homes

About 1.5% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 1.7% at medium risk: roughly 3,740 households. A further 5.5% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 43% of UK towns.

~3,740
households at high or medium risk
5.5%
of homes at low risk
43%
of UK towns have a smaller share
177,320
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

Bradford has flooded in 5 recorded years since 1978, most of all in 2015

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

  1. 2020February 2020: River flooding recorded1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis, February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara
  2. 2015December 2015: River flooding recorded21 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  3. 2002February 2002: The River Aire overflowedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · River Aire. Apperley Bridge
  4. 2000October 2000: River flooding recorded15 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  5. 1978December 1978: River flooding recorded12 hectares inside today’s built-up area
The worst: 201521 ha

Floodwater covered 21 hectares of what is now Bradford in 2015, the largest flood the record holds here (December).

40 of Bradford’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2015, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 1 hectare.

River levels

The River Aire at Apperley Bridge: highest 3.80 m, in December 2015

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Apperley Bridge gauge, since 2000. The river normally runs between 0.16 m and 2.40 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 2000–01: highest 3.39 m on 31 October 2000 · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 2.88 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 2.27 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 2.71 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 2.04 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 3.09 m on 25 June 2007 · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 3.10 m on 21 January 2008 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 2.10 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 2.22 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 2.62 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 2.17 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.57 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 2.16 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 3.80 m on 26 December 2015 · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 1.72 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 2.02 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 2.53 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 3.36 m on 9 February 2020 · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 2.72 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 3.20 m on 20 February 2022 · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 9.64 m on 10 May 2023 · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 2.98 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 2.57 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 1.61 m · 0 days above the normal range’22–23’15–16’00–01Record 3.80 m, 2015Top of normal range
2000–012025–26
The highest days on record
  • 10 May 20239.64 m
  • 26 December 20153.80 m
  • 31 October 20003.39 m
  • 9 February 20203.36 m
  • 20 February 20223.20 m
  • 21 January 20083.10 m

The River Aire has topped its normal range on 42 days since 2000, most in the winters of 2000–01 and 2015–16. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 23rd-highest of the 24.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Apperley Bridge (station L1602), 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 Bradford · 3 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 3 flood warning areas and 3 alert areas reaching into the city; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Bradford (checked 11 November 2026, 12:27). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Bradford
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)

Of the 3 warnings, 2 were for Hunsworth Beck at Oakenshaw and 1 for Bradford Beck and tributaries at Bradford. 2023 had the most warnings (3); 2015 the most alerts (35).

The most recent warning was on 20 October 2023.

Show the 6 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
Hunsworth Beck at OakenshawWarning area2None
Bradford Beck and tributaries at BradfordWarning area1None
River Aire at Apperley BridgeWarning area0None
Upper River Calder catchmentAlert area149None
Middle River Aire catchmentAlert area66None
River Spen and Batley Beck catchmentsAlert area55None

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 Bradford are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 5–10% band

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).

SE1033: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1034: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1035: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1130: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1131: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1132: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1133: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1134: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1135: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1136: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1229: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1230: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1231: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1232: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1233: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1234: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1235: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1236: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1328: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1329: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1330: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1331: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1332: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1333: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1334: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1335: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1426: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1427: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1428: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1429: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1430: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1431: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1432: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1433: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1434: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1435: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1436: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1526: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1527: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1528: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1529: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1530: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1531: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1532: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1533: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1534: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1535: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1536: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1625: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1626: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1627: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1628: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSE1629: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1630: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1631: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1632: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1633: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1634: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1635: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1636: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1637: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1638: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1727: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1728: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1729: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1730: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1731: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1732: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1733: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1734: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1735: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1736: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1737: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1738: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1739: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1828: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1829: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1830: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE1831: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1832: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1833: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSE1834: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1835: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1836: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1837: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1838: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1929: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1930: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1931: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1932: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1933: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1934: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1935: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1936: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE1937: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE1938: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2029: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2030: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2032: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2033: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2038: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2039: 3–5% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%5–10%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes2%
1–3% of homes14%
3–5% of homes67%
5–10% of homes16%

98% of Bradford’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 16% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the north-east side of the city.

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 Bradford

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

Shipley: Hazard risk C+Oakenshaw: Hazard risk DThornton: Hazard risk ABaildon: Hazard risk B−Pudsey: Hazard risk B−Calverley: Hazard risk BShelf and Northowram: Hazard risk BShipleyOakenshawThorntonBaildonPudseyCalverleyShelf and NorthowramBradford
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Bradford333,9680.3%0.1%B−
Shipley29,2280.7%3.6%C+
Oakenshaw1,5715.1%6.4%D
Thornton5,4100%0%A
Baildon17,0560.3%0.5%B−
Pudsey34,8530.2%under 0.1%B−
Calverley3,988under 0.1%under 0.1%B
Shelf and Northowram9,191under 0.1%0%B

Oakenshaw, 3.2 miles south, has the most homes at risk around Bradford (5.1% at high or medium). Thornton has none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Bradford 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.
  • Bradford’s warning areas include Bradford Beck and tributaries at Bradford and River Aire at Apperley Bridge.
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 Bradford
  • 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 Bradford

Does Bradford flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in February 2020. 0.3% 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 3.1% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Bradford grades B− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Bradford are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: Hunsworth Beck at Oakenshaw, Bradford Beck and tributaries at Bradford and River Aire at Apperley Bridge. 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 Bradford last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1978 to 2020 (5 years); the largest was in 2015. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 20 October 2023.

Is Bradford at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.5% of homes are at high risk and 1.7% at medium risk from surface water, against 0.3% 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 Bradford?

98% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 16% is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the action level. Most homes are below it; a three-month test is the only way to know.

Are there flood warnings in Bradford now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Bradford at 11 November 2026, 12:27. 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.