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Wakefield-1Photo: Tim Green from Bradford · CC BY 2.0
C−Hazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Wakefield · Environment Agency

Heavy rain is Wakefield’s main flood risk: 6.1% of homes, against 1.7% 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. Hazard risk puts Wakefield at C−: #72 of 91 in West Yorkshire.

2007worst recorded flood31flood warnings since 2006100%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Wakefield’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river6.1% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1.7% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2007Floodwater covered 25 hectares of today’s Wakefield in 2007; 919 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.The River Calder ran its 5th-highest in January 20251.43 m at Wakefield on 1 January 2025, 22 cm under the record set in 2020.31 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Wakefield the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 6 January 2025.
By hazard

What Wakefield faces

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

Rivers and the sea

1.7%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 76% of towns
918 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

6.1%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 78% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1.7%

Past floods

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

The River Calder

0.89 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Wakefield
24th-highest of 32 winters
Record 1.65 m, February 2020

Flood warnings

31flood warnings since 2006
213 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 6 January 2025

Radon

100%of the town in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 10–30% of homes
100% 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

Wakefield grades C− for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (1.7%)Fewer than 24% 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 Wakefield

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: 2007Recorded flood: 2015Recorded flood: 2019Recorded flood: 2020© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterWakefield’s built-up area

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

1.7% of Wakefield’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 4.2% are at low risk.

High risk0.1%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more50 homes, EA count
Medium risk1.6%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100868 homes, EA count
Low risk4.2%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,0002,178 homes, EA count
Where Wakefield sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Wakefield
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; Wakefield has more than 76% of towns.

Towns its size: 64th of 77 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Oldham Greater Manchester110,7220%
2Birkenhead Merseyside109,8540%
3Basildon Essex115,935under 0.1%
…
62Crawley West Sussex120,5671.5%
63Maidstone Kent109,5031.6%
64Wakefield West Yorkshire97,8711.7%
65Carlisle Cumbria77,7291.8%
66Hastings East Sussex91,4972.1%
…
76Lincoln Lincolnshire104,5536%
77Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 69,000 to 137,000 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 3.6 times as many Wakefield 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 water6.1%
Rivers and the sea1.7%
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% at medium risk: roughly 2,560 households. A further 8.9% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 78% of UK towns.

~2,560
households at high or medium risk
8.9%
of homes at low risk
78%
of UK towns have a smaller share
51,313
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

Wakefield has flooded in 5 recorded years since 2002, most of all in 2007

Every flood the Environment Agency has mapped inside Wakefield’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 recorded8 hectares inside today’s built-up area · February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara/Dennis, February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis, February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara
  2. 2019November 2019: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · November Flood Incident
  3. 2015December 2015: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  4. 2007June 2007: River flooding recorded25 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Flood (Ridings Area, Surface Water Flooding Yorkshire
  5. 2002February 2002: The River Calder overflowedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · River Calder. Wakefield.
The worst: 200725 ha

Floodwater covered 25 hectares of what is now Wakefield in 2007, the largest flood the record holds here (June).

919 of Wakefield’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 2007, the largest recorded flood inside the town covered 8 hectares.

River levels

The River Calder in January 2025 rose to its 5th-highest level since 1992

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Wakefield gauge, since 1992. The river normally runs between 0.04 m and 0.85 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1994–95: highest 1.08 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 0.43 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 0.77 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 1.17 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 1.05 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 1.07 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 1.21 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 1.09 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 1.13 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 0.99 m · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 0.84 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 0.69 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 1.42 m on 25 June 2007 · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.44 m on 21 January 2008 · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 0.85 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 0.94 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 0.99 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 1.30 m on 6 July 2012 · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 0.84 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 0.77 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 0.95 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.62 m on 26 December 2015 · 7 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 1.03 m · 1 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 1.11 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 1.28 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 1.65 m on 9 February 2020 · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 1.14 m · 5 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 1.58 m on 21 February 2022 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 0.74 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.39 m on 21 October 2023 · 2 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 1.43 m on 1 January 2025 · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 0.89 m · 1 days above the normal range’19–20’15–16’21–22Record 1.65 m, 2020Top of normal range
1994–952025–26
The highest days on record
  • 9 February 20201.65 m
  • 26 December 20151.62 m
  • 21 February 20221.58 m
  • 21 January 20081.44 m
  • 1 January 20251.43 m
  • 25 June 20071.42 m

The River Calder has topped its normal range on 96 days since 1992, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2001–02. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 24th-highest of the 32.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Wakefield (station L1304), 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 Wakefield · 31 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 11 flood warning areas and 3 alert areas reaching into the town; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Wakefield (checked 6 November 2026, 19:05). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Wakefield
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 31 warnings, 7 were for River Calder at Horbury Junction and 6 for Balne Beck, Alverthorpe Beck and Ings Beck at Wakefield Westgate. 2012 had the most warnings (8); 2024 the most alerts (34).

The most recent warning was on 6 January 2025.

Show the 14 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Calder at Horbury JunctionWarning area7None
Balne Beck, Alverthorpe Beck and Ings Beck at Wakefield WestgateWarning area6None
River Calder at StanleyWarning area6None
Oakenshaw Beck at AgbriggWarning area4None
Fosterford Beck and Balne Beck at WrenthorpeWarning area2None
River Calder at Wakefield - Fall Ings and Belle VueWarning area2None
River Calder at Wakefield - Thornes and Calder ValeWarning area2None
Balne Beck and Alverthorpe Beck at Brooks Bank around Wakefield PrisonWarning area1None
Lingwell Gate Beck at Lofthouse GateWarning area1None
Alverthorpe Beck at Wakefield FlanshawWarning area0None
Balne Beck at Peacock including Silcoates StreetWarning area0None
Lower River Calder catchmentAlert area77None
Ings Beck and Oakenshaw BeckAlert area70None
Middle River Aire catchmentAlert area66None

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 Wakefield are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 10–30% 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).

SE2920: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE2921: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3018: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3019: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3020: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3021: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3022: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3023: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3024: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3116: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3117: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3118: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3119: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3120: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3121: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3122: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3123: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3124: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3125: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3215: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3216: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3217: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3218: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3219: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3220: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3221: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3222: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3223: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3224: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3225: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3315: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3316: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3317: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3318: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3319: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3320: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3321: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3322: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3323: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3324: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3325: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3416: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3417: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3418: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3419: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3420: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3421: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3422: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3423: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3424: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3425: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3519: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3520: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3521: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3522: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSE3523: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSE3524: 5–10% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
5–10%10–30%
Share of the town’s area in each band
5–10% of homes75%
10–30% of homes25%

100% of Wakefield’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 100% in squares of 5% or more.

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 Wakefield

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

Horbury: Hazard risk C−Crigglestone and Durkar: Hazard risk B+Ossett: Hazard risk BWalton: Hazard risk B+Bottom Boat: Hazard risk AThorpe on the Hill: Hazard risk ALofthouse and Robin Hood: Hazard risk AHorburyCrigglestone and DurkarOssettWaltonBottom BoatThorpe on the HillLofthouse and Robin HoodWakefield
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Wakefield97,8711.7%4.2%C−
Horbury9,8683.1%5.3%C−
Crigglestone and Durkar6,6720%1.2%B+
Ossett21,854under 0.1%under 0.1%B
Walton3,2660%under 0.1%B+
Bottom Boat1,1910%0%A
Thorpe on the Hill1,2320%0%A
Lofthouse and Robin Hood4,1870%0%A

Horbury, 2.6 miles south-west, has the most homes at risk around Wakefield (3.1% at high or medium).

Be ready

Get ready for what Wakefield 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.
  • Wakefield’s warning areas include Balne Beck, Alverthorpe Beck and Ings Beck at Wakefield Westgate and River Calder at Wakefield - Thornes and Calder Vale.
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 Wakefield
  • 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 Wakefield

Does Wakefield flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the town was in February 2020. 1.7% 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 6.1% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Wakefield grades C− for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Wakefield are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Calder at Horbury Junction, Balne Beck, Alverthorpe Beck and Ings Beck at Wakefield Westgate, River Calder at Stanley and Oakenshaw Beck at Agbrigg. 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 Wakefield last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the town run from 2002 to 2020 (5 years); the largest was in 2007. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the town since 2006, most recently on 6 January 2025.

Is Wakefield at risk of surface water flooding?

About 3.2% of homes are at high risk and 3% at medium risk from surface water, against 1.7% 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 Wakefield?

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

No flood warning or alert was in force near Wakefield at 6 November 2026, 19:05. 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.