Environment Agency continues to urge caution during ongoing flooding

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Environment Agency continues to urge caution during ongoing flooding

The Environment Agency has urged people to stay vigilant to the risk of flooding and stay away from swollen rivers.

The Environment Agency is continuing to urge people to remain vigilant following the recent flooding, as flood warnings are still in place and a mixture of melting snow and saturated catchments could risk further disruption in parts of England on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Ongoing significant river flooding is probable in Leicestershire today, with more minor river flooding also probable in some other parts of England, continuing through to Thursday for some larger rivers.

People in affected areas should follow advice from emergency services and take caution, particularly while travelling.

Those travelling are urged to stay away from swollen rivers and to plan ahead when making journeys, as disruption from significant flooding in the Midlands is possible today and into tomorrow, while minor impacts are also probable more widely across other parts of England.

Environment Agency teams remain on the ground supporting the public and are still operating flood defences and basins to manage possible impacts.

As of 12:00 on Tuesday 7 January, there is one severe flood warning, meaning there is a danger to life, at caravan parks near Barrow upon Soar, where residents have been evacuated. There are also 133 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 221 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, live across the country. Following flooding since New Year's Eve, the Environment Agency estimates that so far, in total across England, more than 41,000 properties have been protected and at least 300 properties have flooded, with reports of further flooding being investigated.

Heavy rainfall over the New Year saw significant river flooding across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Yorkshire, with the highest river levels on record being reached on the Mersey in Stockport and South Manchester.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy has met with staff from the Environment Agency and MPs in affected areas to discuss the response to the heavy rain and flooding and to ensure that communities are kept safe and receive the support they need.

The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation.

Stefan Laeger, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

The recent heavy rain combined with melting snow means it is probable significant river flooding will continue in Leicestershire today, with minor river flooding probable in some other parts of the country, continuing through to Thursday for some larger rivers.

Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.

We urge people to remain vigilant over the next few days and advise anyone travelling to be especially careful and urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.

People should search 'check my flood risk', sign up for free flood warnings, and keep up to date with the latest situation at @EnvAgency on X.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

My thoughts are with the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.

I continue to speak with officials from the Environment Agency and MPs to ensure that impacted communities are receiving the necessary support. I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe.

The Government is working at pace to accelerate the building of flood defences through our new Floods Resilience Taskforce, so we can continue to protect people and their homes.

Lessons learned from these floods will be fed directly into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce to speed up the development of flood defences and bolster the nation's resilience to extreme weather.

The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Minister Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others.

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Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2025
Last updated 7 January 2025 + show all updates