No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Updated 2026-08-23 22:40:30 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Blackburn is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough, in Lancashire, England. The town lies north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the Ribble Valley, 8 miles (13 km) east of Preston and 21 miles (34 km) north-north-west of Manchester. Blackburn is at the centre of the wider unitary authority area along with the town of Darwen. It is the second largest town in Lancashire, after Blackpool.
Blackburn is monitored by 5 Environment Agency river level stations on the Ewood Mill Race, the River Blakewater, the River Darwen, in Blackburn with Darwen. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The Ewood Mill Race is monitored by 2 stations (Ewood Ashville Terrace North, Ewood Ashville Terrace South). The River Blakewater is monitored by 2 stations (Gorse Street, Harrison Street). The River Darwen is monitored by 1 station (Blackburn Waterfall). 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 Blackburn. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties in the Lower Darwen Bridge, Bolton Road, Waterfall, Griffin and Witton areas; River Blakewater at Blackburn Wranglings, including Railway Road, Darwen Street, Canterbury Street, Harrison Street and Whalley Banks; Properties adjacent to the River Darwen, including Ewood Park, Stancliffe Street, Griffin Mill and River Mill; Ewood Mill Race at Ewood, Blackburn, including Bolton Road, Nuttall Street and Ashville Terrace.
There are 58 storm overflows within 5km of Blackburn. None are currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.
If flooding is forecast in Blackburn, 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.
Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of the town centre — most recent first. See them on the map →
Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Blackburn has river level monitoring on Ewood Mill Race, River Blakewater, River Darwen — 5 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 6 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1946, most recently in 2012. Absence of a record does not mean a place has never flooded. See the flood history link below.
