Does Barking flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Barking

Ordnance Survey places 478 postcodes in Barking 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 13,897 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

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.

Rivers and live river levels near Barking

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Barking watch Loxford Water, Thames Tideway, River Roding, River Beam, River Rom.

• Seven Kings Park
  Loxford Water · 4.5 km away No recent reading
  last reported 26 Oct 2026 10:00
• Silvertown Tidal
  Thames Tideway · 4.8 km away -1.19 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 28 min ago
• Redbridge
  River Roding · 6.1 km away No recent reading
  last reported 26 Oct 2026 10:00
• Charlton Tidal
  Thames Tideway · 6.4 km away -1.10 mAOD
  rises and falls with the tide · 28 min ago
• Hornchurch_Bretons Farm
  River Beam · 6.4 km away 0.15 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Romford
  River Rom · 7.8 km away 0.37 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Collier Row
  River Rom · 8.4 km away 0.39 m
  normal range · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Barking's at-risk postcodes. Tidal and structure gauges are shown as readings only — the tide and sluice gates move them, not floods. A gauge with no recent reading shows no level.

Flood warning areas near Barking

29 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Barking. The EA has issued 135 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 24 Oct 2026.

• The Lower River Roding including Redbridge, Woodford, Wanstead, Ilford, East Ham and Barking
  14 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2021 1.0 km
• River Thames at Beckton Sewage Works including East Ham
  no warning on record since 2006 1.5 km
• The River Roding in Barking including East Ham
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Dec 2019 1.6 km
• River Thames including areas in the boroughs of Havering, Barking and Dagenham, and Newham
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2008 2.7 km
• The Loxford Water at Seven Kings and Ilford
  no warning on record since 2006 3.0 km
• River Thames at Beckton including Canning Town, Custom House, and Beckton
  no warning on record since 2006 3.8 km
• River Thames including areas in the boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2008 4.3 km
• The River Thames from Erith High Street to Woolwich Arsenal including Erith Marshes, Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, North Plumstead and the Woolwich Arsenal site.
  no warning on record since 2006 4.3 km
• River Thames from Beckton Sewage Works to the River Lee including Beckton Gas Works, London City Airport, the ExCeL Centre, areas around the King George V, Royal Albert and Royal Victoria docks and Canning Town
  no warning on record since 2006 4.4 km
• The Loxford Water including Hainault, Seven Kings and Ilford
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2024 4.4 km
• River Thames riverside from Dartford Creek and The Mardyke to the Thames Barrier
  27 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 4.9 km
• The River Beam at Dagenham including Rainham
  no warning on record since 2006 4.9 km

Recorded floods near Barking

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Barking, most recent first. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See them on the map →

• 18 Nov 2022 — Loxford Water Flooding November 2022 Main river
• 20 Dec 2019 — ea06DecemberWinter2019 Main river
• 23 Jun 2016 — ea06JuneSummer2016 Main river
• 1 Jan 2000 — 06DecemberWinter2000 Main river
• 1 Jan 1987 — 06SeptemberSummer1987 Main river
• 1 Jan 1974 — 06NovemberAutumn1974 Main river
• 31 Jan 1953 — TTD_FEO_1953 Sea
• 1 Jan 1953 — TTD_FEO_1953 Sea
• 1 Jan 1953 — JanuaryWinter1953 Main river
• 7 Mar 1947 — 06MarchSpring1947 Main river
• 6 Jan 1928 — TTD_FEO_1928 Main river
• 1 Jan 1928 — TTD_FEO_1928 Main river

…and 1 earlier recorded flood on the map.

Rainfall near Barking

Barking gets about 578 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 63 mm; driest March, 34 mm). That is 50% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.5 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (0.8 km away), recorded 3.0 mm in the last 24 hours and 46.5 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Barking

Every postcode Ordnance Survey places in Barking that appears in the EA's rivers-and-sea dataset, worst band first. Each links to its own flood-risk page.

High likelihood (30)

Medium likelihood (36)

Low likelihood (319)

Very low likelihood (93)

Postcode districts

Sources

FloodRadar summarises public flood data. It is not a flood-risk survey of any property, and it does not replace official GOV.UK flood warnings or the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service.