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No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Updated 2026-10-08 02:12:24 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Alston is a town in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, within the civil parish of Alston Moor. It is located at about 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level in the North Pennines, the River South Tyne, and shares the title of 'highest market town in England', with Buxton, Derbyshire. Despite its relative isolation, the town has road connections to the Tyne Gap to the north, Weardale and Teesdale to the south-east, and Penrith to the south-west.
The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River South Tyne, about 60 m from the middle of Alston's gauges. It flows into the River Tyne about 50 km downstream.
A gauge downstream shows water that has already passed this point; one upstream sees it first. Distances along the river are from the point on the River South Tyne nearest the middle of Alston's gauges. From Ordnance Survey’s river map (OS Open Rivers), which leaves out small streams, ditches and culverts, so a nearer one may exist. This describes where water goes on the map; it says nothing about flooding at any address. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.
Alston is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the River South Tyne, in Westmorland and Furness. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The River South Tyne is monitored by 1 station (Alston). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.
There is 1 Environment Agency flood warning area within 10km of Alston. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties and low lying areas around Slaggyford, including Lake House and Knarburn Cottage. Also around Lambley, including Eals Village and Waughold Holme.
There are 5 storm overflows within 5km of Alston. None of the 5 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.
Each has its own page of live status and past discharges:
If flooding is forecast in Alston, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for the latest information. Move valuables upstairs, turn off gas and electricity if safe to do so, and avoid walking or driving through flood water. Sign up for flood warnings on any station page above to receive email alerts when water levels rise. For emergency numbers, a preparation checklist and insurance guidance, see our flood help & preparation guide.
Alston gets about 1,394 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 174 mm; driest May, 79 mm). That is 20% wetter than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. See the rain gauges →
A thirty-year average for the area, not a forecast and not a flood risk on its own. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.4 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of the town centre — most recent first. These are records of mapped extents, not a full list of floods. See them on the map →
Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.
Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Alston has river level monitoring on River South Tyne — 1 monitoring station in total.
Use the GOV.UK Check for Flooding service (check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk) or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (24 hours). You can also set up free FloodRadar email or browser alerts from any station page above.
Follow official advice: move valuables and vehicles to safety, never walk or drive through flood water, turn off gas and electricity if safe, and check on vulnerable neighbours. See our flood preparation guide at floodradar.co.uk/flood-help.
Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 4 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2007. That is a count of mapped extents, not of separate floods. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See the flood history link below.
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