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North side of Dewsbury Market PlacePhoto: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0
CHazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Dewsbury · Environment Agency

In Dewsbury, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 3.7%, against 1.2%

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. For hazard risk, Dewsbury grades C: #63 of 91 in West Yorkshire.

2015worst recorded flood38flood warnings since 2006100%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Dewsbury’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river3.7% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1.2% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2015Floodwater covered 61 hectares of today’s Dewsbury in 2015; 25 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.38 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Dewsbury the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 1 January 2025.Radon in parts52% of the town is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the radon action level.
By hazard

What Dewsbury faces

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

Rivers and the sea

1.2%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 71% of towns
288 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

3.7%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 53% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1.2%

Past floods

4years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: February 2022
25 households inside past outlines

The Spen Beck

0.97 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Northorpe
19th-highest of 36 winters
Record 1.68 m, June 2007

Flood warnings

38flood warnings since 2006
132 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 1 January 2025

Radon

100%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 5–10% of homes
52% 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

Dewsbury grades C for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (1.2%)Fewer than 29% 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 Dewsbury

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 Calder: 2002Recorded flood: 2015Recorded flood: 2020Recorded flood: 2022© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterDewsbury’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the Batley Beck, the Chickenley Beck and the Lands Beck. Surface-water risk is spread across the town, in dips, underpasses and along small streams, which is why more homes are exposed to it.

Rivers and the sea

1.2% of Dewsbury’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 8.2% are at low risk.

High risk0.8%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more208 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.3%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 10080 homes, EA count
Low risk8.2%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0002,050 homes, EA count
Where Dewsbury sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Dewsbury
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; Dewsbury has more than 71% of towns.

Towns its size: 86th of 119 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Dudley West Midlands64,2770%
2Smethwick West Midlands56,3430%
3Bootle Merseyside53,7220%
…
84Gravesend Kent58,1051.1%
85Gosport Hampshire70,1201.1%
86Dewsbury West Yorkshire63,7301.2%
87Bury Greater Manchester81,1151.2%
88Bracknell Berkshire78,6621.2%
…
118West Molesey Surrey47,1447.2%
119Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 45,000 to 89,000 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 3.2 times as many Dewsbury 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 water3.7%
Rivers and the sea1.2%
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 2.2% at medium risk: roughly 870 households. A further 7.2% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 53% of UK towns.

~870
households at high or medium risk
7.2%
of homes at low risk
53%
of UK towns have a smaller share
31,582
addresses read on the map

Our estimate: every address in the town (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

Dewsbury has flooded in 4 recorded years since 2002, most of all in 2015

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

  1. 2022February 2022: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin
  2. 2020February 2020: River flooding recorded21 hectares inside today’s built-up area · February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara/Dennis, February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis, February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara
  3. 2015December 2015: River flooding recorded61 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  4. 2002February 2002: The River Calder overflowed4 hectares inside today’s built-up area · River Calder. Horbury, River Calder. Brighouse to Dewsbury
The worst: 201561 ha

Floodwater covered 61 hectares of what is now Dewsbury in 2015, the largest flood the record holds here (December).

25 of Dewsbury’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2015, the largest recorded flood inside the town covered 21 hectares.

River levels

The Spen Beck at Northorpe: highest 1.68 m, in June 2007

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Northorpe gauge (Ravensthorpe), since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.04 m and 0.50 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 0.83 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 0.93 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 0.99 m · 15 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 0.90 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 0.78 m · 19 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 0.74 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 0.95 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 1.05 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 0.75 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 0.84 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 1.08 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 1.13 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 0.93 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 1.15 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 0.77 m · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 0.78 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.68 m on 25 June 2007 · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.32 m on 21 January 2008 · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 0.65 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 0.78 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 1.00 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 1.14 m · 13 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 0.89 m · 12 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 0.66 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 1.02 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.30 m on 12 December 2015 · 20 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 1.02 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 1.12 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 0.89 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 1.54 m on 9 February 2020 · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 1.32 m on 6 February 2021 · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 1.27 m on 20 February 2022 · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 0.72 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.18 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 0.99 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 0.97 m · 10 days above the normal range’06–07’19–20’20–21Record 1.68 m, 2007Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 25 June 20071.68 m
  • 9 February 20201.54 m
  • 15 June 20071.35 m
  • 6 February 20211.32 m
  • 21 January 20081.32 m
  • 12 December 20151.30 m

The Spen Beck has topped its normal range on 426 days since 1990, most in the winters of 1993–94 and 2015–16. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 19th-highest of the 36.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Northorpe (station F1385), 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 Dewsbury · 38 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 7 flood warning areas and 2 alert areas reaching into the town; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Dewsbury (checked 15 November 2026, 15:19). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Dewsbury
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 38 warnings, 12 were for River Calder at Ravensthorpe and 9 for River Calder at Central Mirfield. 2015 had the most warnings (13); 2024 the most alerts (17).

The most recent warning was on 1 January 2025.

Show the 9 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Calder at RavensthorpeWarning area12None
River Calder at Dewsbury - Lodge Farm and Sands MillWarning area9None
River Calder at Central MirfieldWarning area9None
River Spen and Canker Dyke at RavensthorpeWarning area6None
River Calder at DewsburyWarning area1None
Batley Beck at Batley CarrWarning area1None
Batley Beck at DewsburyWarning area0None
Lower River Calder catchmentAlert area77None
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 Dewsbury 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).

SE2119: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2120: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2121: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2219: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2220: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2221: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2222: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2223: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2318: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2319: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSE2320: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2321: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2322: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2323: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2417: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2418: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2419: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2420: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2421: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2422: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2517: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2518: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2519: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2520: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2521: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2522: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2523: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2618: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2619: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2620: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSE2621: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2622: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2623: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2624: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2724: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2725: 5–10% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
1–3%3–5%5–10%
Share of the town’s area in each band
1–3% of homes13%
3–5% of homes35%
5–10% of homes52%

100% of Dewsbury’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 52% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the north-east side of the town.

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 Dewsbury

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

Ossett: Hazard risk BHeckmondwike: Hazard risk C+Batley: Hazard risk BMirfield: Hazard risk DMiddlestown and Overton: Hazard risk ALiversedge: Hazard risk DGrange Moor: Hazard risk AOssettHeckmondwikeBatleyMirfieldMiddlestown and OvertonLiversedgeGrange MoorDewsbury
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Dewsbury63,7301.2%8.2%C
Ossett21,854under 0.1%under 0.1%B
Heckmondwike13,3680.6%0.1%C+
Batley44,494under 0.1%0.5%B
Mirfield19,6144.2%2.5%D
Middlestown and Overton2,4090%0%A
Liversedge17,5193.4%1.2%D
Grange Moor1,1180%0%A

Mirfield, 2.6 miles west, has the most homes at risk around Dewsbury (4.2% at high or medium). Middlestown and Overton and Grange Moor have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Dewsbury 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.
  • Dewsbury’s warning areas include River Calder at Dewsbury and River Calder at Ravensthorpe.
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 Dewsbury
  • 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 Dewsbury

Does Dewsbury flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in February 2022. 1.2% 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 3.7% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Dewsbury grades C for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Dewsbury are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Calder at Ravensthorpe, River Calder at Central Mirfield, River Calder at Dewsbury - Lodge Farm and Sands Mill and River Spen and Canker Dyke at Ravensthorpe. Surface water can collect in low spots anywhere in the town. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service.

When did Dewsbury last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 2002 to 2022 (4 years); the largest was in 2015. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 1 January 2025.

Is Dewsbury at risk of surface water flooding?

About 1.5% of homes are at high risk and 2.2% at medium risk from surface water, against 1.2% 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 Dewsbury?

100% of the town’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 52% 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 Dewsbury now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Dewsbury at 15 November 2026, 15:19. 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.