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Does Atherton flood? 69 postcodes in Atherton are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (10 High, 11 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.
No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Updated 2026-10-09 18:45:58 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Atherton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, historically part of Lancashire. It is 5 miles (8 km) south of Bolton, 7 miles (11 km) east of Wigan, and 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Manchester. During the Industrial Revolution, the town was a key part of the Manchester Coalfield.
Ordnance Survey places 69 postcodes in Atherton in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk dataset (Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea). Each postcode is counted once, under the worst band any of its properties reaches; together they hold 495 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 10 | 34 | 26 |
| Medium | 11 | 30 | 8 |
| Low | 43 | 375 | 337 |
| Very low | 5 | 56 | 53 |
| All bands | 69 | 495 | 424 |
This dataset covers flooding from rivers and the sea only — one of five flood sources. Surface water, groundwater, sewers and reservoirs are assessed separately, so a postcode missing from it is not proof that a place cannot flood. The band describes the land around properties (allowing for defences), not any single address and not today's conditions.
Higher Folds · Leigh · Worsley · Golborne · Ince-in-Makerfield · Eccles · Irlam
Flood-risk bands: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this map are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH). © Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2025 OS AC0000807064. This product is produced in part from PAF® and Multiple Residence Data, the copyright in which is owned by Royal Mail Group Limited and/or Royal Mail Group plc. All rights reserved. Licence number AC0000807064.
Place names: Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The nearest watercourse on the river map is Chanters Brook, about 230 m from the middle of Atherton's gauges. It flows into Hindsford Brook about 1.1 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 Chanters Brook nearest the middle of Atherton'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.
Atherton is monitored by 3 Environment Agency river level stations on the Atherton Lake Brook, the Carr Brook, the Shakerley Brook, in Greater Manchester. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The Atherton Lake Brook is monitored by 1 station (Howe Bridge). The Carr Brook is monitored by 1 station (Atherton Woodland Drive). The Shakerley Brook is monitored by 1 station (Atherton Shakerley Road). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.
There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Atherton. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties on Greenfield Road, Hillside Avenue, Warren Close, Springfield Close, Carr Brook Drive, Leather Market on Bolton Road and two properties on Bolton Old Road; Properties on Shakerley Road, Castle Street, Tyldesley Road and Little Factory Street; Areas at risk include properties around Wigan Road and Liscard Street and those surrounding Gadbury Avenue, Gadbury Fold. Also at risk are properties on Albion Close, along Leigh Road and on Lovers Lane; Areas at risk include properties on and around The Avenue to Peregrine Drive and adjacent roads. This includes properties on and around Riversmeade, Elmridge, Platt Fold Road, Sevenoaks, Greenways, South Court, Linnet Drive, Redpol Avenue.
There are 49 storm overflows within 5km of Atherton. 4 are currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.
6 of them, nearest first, with their own page of live status and past discharges:
If flooding is forecast in Atherton, 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.
Atherton gets about 999 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 110 mm; driest April, 62 mm). That is close to 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), 0.5 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.
Atherton has river level monitoring on Atherton Lake Brook, Carr Brook, Shakerley Brook — 3 monitoring stations 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 2 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2024. 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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