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CHazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Worcester · Environment Agency

Heavy rain is Worcester’s main flood risk: 5.1% of homes, against 1.4% 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. For hazard risk, Worcester grades C: #12 of 22 in Worcestershire.

1947worst recorded flood128flood warnings since 20067%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Worcester’s hazards

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

Rain, more than the river5.1% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1.4% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 1947The River Severn covered 77 hectares of today’s Worcester in 1947; 609 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.128 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Worcester the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 13 February 2026.
By hazard

What Worcester faces

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

Rivers and the sea

1.4%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 73% of towns
682 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

5.1%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 70% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1.4%

Past floods

7years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: July 2007
609 households inside past outlines

The River Severn

4.70 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Diglis
13th-highest of 36 winters
Record 5.30 m, July 2007

Flood warnings

128flood warnings since 2006
305 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 13 February 2026

Radon

7%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 1–3% 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

Worcester grades C for hazard risk

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

Homes at high or medium flood risk (1.4%)Fewer than 27% 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 Worcester

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 Severn: 1947Recorded flood: 1960Recorded flood: 1990Recorded flood: 1998Recorded flood: 2000River Severn: 2001River Teme, River Severn: 2007© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterWorcester’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the Barbourne Brook, the Barbourne Brook in Worcester and the River Teme. 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

1.4% of Worcester’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 1.5% are at low risk.

High risk0.6%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more305 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.8%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100377 homes, EA count
Low risk1.5%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000790 homes, EA count
Where Worcester sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Worcester
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; Worcester has more than 73% of towns.

Towns its size: 56th of 73 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Oldham Greater Manchester110,7220%
2Birkenhead Merseyside109,8540%
3Kensington and Chelsea London143,348under 0.1%
…
54Exeter Devon126,1811.3%
55Wigan Greater Manchester81,5801.3%
56Worcester Worcestershire105,4391.4%
57Wythenshawe Greater Manchester97,6651.4%
58Crawley West Sussex120,5671.5%
…
72Lincoln Lincolnshire104,5536%
73Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 74,000 to 148,000 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 3.8 times as many Worcester 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 water5.1%
Rivers and the sea1.4%
0%7%14% of homes

About 2.2% 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 2,340 households. A further 8.8% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 70% of UK towns.

~2,340
households at high or medium risk
8.8%
of homes at low risk
70%
of UK towns have a smaller share
55,607
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

Worcester has flooded in 7 recorded years since 1947, most of all in 1947

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

  1. 2007July 2007: The River Teme and the River Severn overflowed4 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  2. 2001January 2001: The River Severn overflowedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area
  3. 2000September, October and December 2000: River flooding recorded5 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Lower Severn, St Peter the Great, Severn Stoke, Autumn (Upper Severn
  4. 1998October 1998: River flooding recorded38 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  5. 1990January 1990: River flooding recordedUnder 1 hectare inside today’s built-up area · Upton upon Severn
  6. 1960December 1960: River flooding recorded12 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn
Show all 7
  1. 1947March 1947: The River Severn overflowed77 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Upper Severn, Lower Severn
The worst: 194777 ha

The River Severn covered 77 hectares of what is now Worcester in 1947, the largest flood the record holds here (March).

609 of Worcester’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

Since 1947, the largest recorded flood inside the city covered 38 hectares.

River levels

The River Severn at Diglis: highest 5.30 m, in July 2007

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Diglis gauge, since 1990. The river normally runs between 0.55 m and 2.80 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 1990–91: highest 4.25 m · 16 days above the normal rangeWinter 1991–92: highest 3.57 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 1992–93: highest 4.53 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 1993–94: highest 4.50 m · 40 days above the normal rangeWinter 1994–95: highest 4.48 m · 40 days above the normal rangeWinter 1995–96: highest 3.39 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 1996–97: highest 2.64 m · 0 days above the normal rangeWinter 1997–98: highest 4.64 m · 25 days above the normal rangeWinter 1998–99: highest 4.68 m · 36 days above the normal rangeWinter 1999–00: highest 4.21 m · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 2000–01: highest 5.10 m on 14 December 2000 · 61 days above the normal rangeWinter 2001–02: highest 4.67 m · 23 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 3.84 m · 11 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 4.72 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 3.71 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 3.76 m · 6 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 5.30 m on 21 July 2007 · 60 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 4.71 m · 31 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 4.10 m · 10 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 4.03 m · 21 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 3.26 m · 3 days above the normal rangeWinter 2011–12: highest 4.00 m · 17 days above the normal rangeWinter 2012–13: highest 4.75 m · 43 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 5.03 m · 54 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 3.32 m · 8 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 4.43 m · 43 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 3.97 m · 4 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 3.78 m · 23 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 4.07 m · 15 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 5.27 m on 17 February 2020 · 73 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 5.07 m on 23 January 2021 · 41 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 5.04 m on 23 February 2022 · 14 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 4.92 m · 28 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 5.13 m on 3 January 2024 · 71 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 4.75 m · 32 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 4.70 m · 62 days above the normal range’06–07’19–20’23–24Record 5.30 m, 2007Top of normal range
1990–912025–26
The highest days on record
  • 21 July 20075.30 m
  • 17 February 20205.27 m
  • 3 January 20245.13 m
  • 14 December 20005.10 m
  • 27 February 20205.10 m
  • 23 January 20215.07 m

The River Severn has topped its normal range on 968 days since 1990, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2023–24. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 13th-highest of the 36.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Diglis (station 2085), 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 Worcester · 128 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 9 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 Worcester (checked 6 November 2026, 21:14). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Worcester
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 128 warnings, 41 were for River Severn at Court Meadow, Kempsey and Callow End and 27 for River Severn in South Worcester. 2024 had the most warnings (21); 2007 the most alerts (37).

The most recent warning was on 13 February 2026.

Show the 12 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Severn at Court Meadow, Kempsey and Callow EndWarning area41None
River Severn in South WorcesterWarning area27None
River Severn at Pitchcroft, North WorcesterWarning area25None
River Severn in North WorcesterWarning area22None
River Teme at Lower WickWarning area11None
Barbourne Brook at BarbourneWarning area2None
Blackpole and Perdiswell on the Barbourne BrookWarning area0None
River Severn at Hylton Road, WorcesterWarning area0None
River Teme at Toronto Close Lower WickWarning area0None
Lower TemeAlert area118None
River Severn in WorcestershireAlert area110None
Barbourne BrookAlert area77None

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 Worcester 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).

SO8154: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8253: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8254: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8255: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8256: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8257: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8352: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO8353: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO8354: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8355: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8356: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8357: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8358: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8452: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO8453: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO8454: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8455: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8456: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8457: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8458: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8459: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8551: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO8552: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8553: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8554: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8555: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8556: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8557: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8558: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8651: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO8652: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8653: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8654: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8655: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8656: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8657: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8658: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8752: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8753: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8754: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8755: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8756: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8757: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8758: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8853: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8854: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8855: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8856: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8857: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8956: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO8957: Under 1% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes93%
1–3% of homes7%

7% of Worcester’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 Worcester

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

Rushwick: Hazard risk B−Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey): Hazard risk B+Fernhill Heath: Hazard risk B−Lower Broadheath: Hazard risk B+Hallow: Hazard risk ACollett's Green: Hazard risk AKempsey: Hazard risk DRushwickNorton (Norton Juxta Kempsey)Fernhill HeathLower BroadheathHallowCollett's GreenKempseyWorcester
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Worcester105,4391.4%1.5%C
Rushwick1,1950.2%0%B−
Norton (Norton Juxta Kempsey)1,5920%0.3%B+
Fernhill Heath3,2950.1%0%B−
Lower Broadheath1,8890%under 0.1%B+
Hallow1,4270%0%A
Collett's Green1,5420%0%A
Kempsey3,7537%11%D

Kempsey, 3.8 miles south, has the most homes at risk around Worcester (7% at high or medium).

Be ready

Get ready for what Worcester 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.
  • Worcester’s warning areas include River Severn in South Worcester and River Severn in North Worcester.
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 Worcester
  • 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 Worcester

Does Worcester flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in July 2007. 1.4% 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 5.1% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Worcester grades C for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Worcester are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Severn at Court Meadow, Kempsey and Callow End, River Severn in South Worcester, River Severn at Pitchcroft, North Worcester and River Severn in North Worcester. 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 Worcester last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1947 to 2007 (7 years); the largest was in 1947. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 13 February 2026.

Is Worcester at risk of surface water flooding?

About 2.2% of homes are at high risk and 3% at medium risk from surface water, against 1.4% 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 Worcester?

7% 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 Worcester now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Worcester at 6 November 2026, 21:14. 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.