Does Cambridge flood?
What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Cambridge
Ordnance Survey places 174 postcodes in Cambridge 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 2,692 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 87 | 824 | 683 |
| Medium | 20 | 293 | 228 |
| Low | 65 | 1,570 | 1,240 |
| Very low | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| All bands | 174 | 2,692 | 2,154 |
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 Cambridge
Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Cambridge watch River Cam, Bin Brook, River Rhee, Washpit Brook, River Granta, Oakington Brook, Bourn Brook, Quy Water.
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Cambridge Jesus Lock Structure
River Cam · 0.9 km away No recent reading
last reported 26 Oct 2026 17:00 -
Bin Brook
Bin Brook · 3.0 km away 0.26 m
normal range · 28 min ago -
Cambridge Byron's Pool
River Rhee · 4.4 km away 0.46 m
below normal · steady · 28 min ago -
Cambridge Baits Bite
River Cam · 4.6 km away No recent reading
last reported 26 Oct 2026 17:00 -
Girton
Washpit Brook · 5.4 km away 0.86 m
normal range · steady · 28 min ago -
Stapleford
River Granta · 7.3 km away 0.03 m
normal range · steady · 28 min ago -
Oakington
Oakington Brook · 7.3 km away 0.27 m
below normal · steady · 28 min ago -
Haslingfield Burnt Mill
River Rhee · 7.4 km away 0.09 m
normal range · steady · 28 min ago -
Dernford
River Cam · 8.1 km away 0.09 m
below normal · steady · 28 min ago -
Comberton
Bourn Brook · 8.2 km away 0.29 m
normal range · 28 min ago -
Lode
Quy Water · 8.5 km away 0.08 m
normal range · steady · 28 min ago -
Babraham
River Granta · 9.9 km away 0.05 m
normal range · steady · 28 min ago
Distances are from the middle of Cambridge'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.
The watercourse nearest Cambridge
Two mapped watercourses are about the same distance from the middle of Cambridge's at-risk postcodes: Jesus Ditch (about 440 m) and the River Cam (about 460 m), so this page cannot say which one is nearer to you.
- Jesus DitchFlows into the River Cam about 130 m downstream; next gauge downstream Cambridge Baits Bite, about 5.1 km along the river.
- The River CamFlows into the River Great Ouse about 20 km downstream; next gauge downstream Cambridge Baits Bite, about 4.9 km along the river.
Distances along the river are from the point on each watercourse nearest the middle of Cambridge's at-risk postcodes. 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.
Flood warning areas near Cambridge
15 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Cambridge. The EA has issued 172 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 16 Feb 2026.
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Mill Way in Grantchester, Grantchester Meadows, Grantchester Street, Eltisley Avenue, Chaucer Road, Causewayside, Newnham Road, Newnham Terrace, Queens Road, Granta Place, Mill Lane, Bridge Street, Magdalene Street and Portugal Street in Cambridge
no warning on record since 2006 1.6 km -
Park Parade, Chesterton Road, Trafalgar Road, Acrefield Drive, Capstan Close, Riverside, Pepys Court, Water Street, Fen Road, Fallowfield, Anglers Way and Ditton Walk in Cambridge, High Sreet and Green End in Fen Ditton
no warning on record since 2006 1.7 km -
River Cam from Stapleford to Waterbeach
104 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 2.2 km -
Fulbrooke Road, Barton Road, Gough Way, Penarth Place, Wootton Way, Dane Drove, Sylvester Road and Robinson College in Newnham
no warning on record since 2006 2.3 km -
Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club, Barton Road, Gough Way, Penarth Place, Herschel Road, Sylvester Road and Grange Road in Newnham
no warning on record since 2006 2.6 km -
Chesterton Road, Victoria Road, Banhams Close, Midsummer Common, Beaulands Close, Pentlands Court, Riverside, Logans Way, Lynfield Lane, Water Street and Fen Road in Cambridge
no warning on record since 2006 3.1 km -
Bin Brook at Newnham in Cambridge
20 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2025 3.2 km -
Mill Way in Grantchester, Grantchester Meadows, Newnham Road, Newnham Terrace, Granta Place, Laundress Lane, Silver Street, Queens Lane, Trinity College, St Johns College, Bridge Street, Magdalene Street and Thompsons Lane in Cambridge
no warning on record since 2006 3.3 km -
Woodlands Close, Dodford Lane, Fairway, Northfield and Oakington Road in Girton
9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2020 5.6 km -
Bury Road, Joscelynes, Sawston Road, London Road and Aylesford Way in Stapleford, Kings Mill Lane and Church Street in Great Shelford, and Riddy Close, Church Road and Cambridge Road in Hauxton
1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jan 2021 6.0 km -
Fen Road in Milton, Church End House and Clayhithe Road in Horningsea, Whitmore Way, Station Road, Adams Court, Lode Avenue, Burgess Road, Burgess Drove, Bannold Road and Bannold Drove in Waterbeach
1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Nov 2023 6.7 km -
Dry Drayton Road, The Broadway, Cambridge Road, Orchard Way, Longstanton Road, Mead View, The Drift, Lowbury Cresent, Water Lane, Kettles Close, Holme Close, Arcadia Gardens, Cherry Orchard and Station Road in Oakington and Oakington Road in Westwick
5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2021 7.2 km
Recorded floods near Cambridge
Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Cambridge, most recent first. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See them on the map →
- 21 Oct 2001 — October 2001 Main river
- 1 Jan 2001 — October 2001
- 9 Apr 1998 — LNA_1998_April_River Nene_d/s Northampton Main river
- 5 May 1978 — May 1978 Ordinary watercourse
- 1 Jan 1978 — May 1978
- 1 Jan 1968 — September 1968 River
- 13 Mar 1947 — March 1947 Main river
- 1 Jan 1947 — March 1947 River
Rainfall near Cambridge
Cambridge gets about 561 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month August, 58 mm; driest March, 32 mm). That is 52% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.3 km from the place centre.
At-risk postcodes in Cambridge
Every postcode Ordnance Survey places in Cambridge that appears in the EA's rivers-and-sea dataset, worst band first. Each links to its own flood-risk page.
High likelihood (87)
Medium likelihood (20)
Low likelihood (65)
Very low likelihood (2)
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.
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.
Recorded Flood Outlines, flood warning areas and warning history © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
River levels and rainfall: Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring data, updated every 15 minutes (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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.