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Darlington Flooding

Darlington • Live river level monitoring on River Skerne
1 monitoring station
1 river
8 warning areas
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Does Darlington flood? 99 postcodes in Darlington are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (13 High, 31 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Darlington today: Normal

No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Updated 2026-10-10 04:45:35 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Darlington
Darlington
Town in County Durham, England

Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, 13 miles (21 km) west of Middlesbrough and 17 miles (27 km) south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 in the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" and one of the largest settlements in North East England. The town is linked to London, Leeds, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh by the East Coast Main Line railway and the A1(M) motorway.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Flood Contacts
Floodline 24hr
0345 988 1188
Emergency
999
The map of Darlington’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
25 Mar 2026 08:04 Flood Alert
Upper River Tees
24 Mar 2026 15:52 Flood Alert
Upper River Tees
13 Mar 2026 17:42 Flood Alert
Lower River Tees and estuarine tributaries
13 Mar 2026 09:42 Flood Alert
Lower River Tees and estuarine tributaries
13 Mar 2026 09:30 Flood Alert
Upper River Tees
12 Mar 2026 19:42 Flood Alert
Upper River Tees

Does Darlington flood?

Ordnance Survey places 99 postcodes in Darlington 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 748 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High132314
Medium31316146
Low55409306
Very low000
All bands99748466

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.

The 99 at-risk postcodes in Darlington, worst band first

High likelihood (13)

Medium likelihood (31)

Low likelihood (55)

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Newton Aycliffe

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.

All data sources & licences

The watercourse nearest Darlington

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Skerne, about 10 m from the middle of Darlington's gauges. It flows into the River Tees about 7.0 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 Skerne nearest the middle of Darlington'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.

Useful Links
Flood Monitoring in Darlington

Darlington is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the River Skerne, in Darlington. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The River Skerne is monitored by 1 station (John St Darlington). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Darlington. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties and businesses in lower parts of Darlington and Great Burdon, including Valley Street, John Street, Chesnut Street, Progress Way, Blackett Road, lower parts of Haughton Road near Blackett Road, Riverside Way, and Mill Lane; Properties and businesses in Darlington and Great Burdon, including Lodge Street, Russell Street, Riverside Way, Ely Close and South Park at the Cricket Ground, Park Place, Hird Street and Swan Street; Properties and businesses in upper Darlington and Great Burdon, including Haugton Bridge, Red Hall, Stockton Road, Riverside Way, Weir Street, Chesnut Street and South Park at Brunswick Street, Tannery Yard, South Terrace and Victoria Embankment; Properties at Linden Court, Baxby Terrace, Linden Drive, Hurworth Road and Tees View (A167), at Hurworth Place. Also the Caravan Park at Newbus Grange.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 29 storm overflows within 5km of Darlington. None of the 29 with a reporting monitor 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:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Darlington, 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.

How much rain falls on Darlington

Darlington gets about 671 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month August, 69 mm; driest March, 42 mm). That is 42% drier 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), 2.6 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Recorded floods near Darlington

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 →

  • 2021-01-18 — Storm Christoph, Haughton-le-Skerne, Jan 2021 (Main river)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Main river)
  • 2020-02-08 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-08 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara (Main river)
  • 2020-02-08 — Storm Ciara, Croft-on-Tees, Feb 2020 (Main river)
  • 2020-02-08 — Storm Ciara, Croft-on-Tees, Feb 2020 (Main river)
  • 2007-07-18 — 30,BURTREE LANE,DARLINGTON, (Sewer)
  • 2007-07-17 — CORNMILL SHOPPING CENTRE,TUBWELL ROW,TOWN CENTRE,D (Sewer)
  • 2007-06-22 — Central Darlington (Sewer)
  • 2000-10-30 — Autumn 2000 Event
  • 2000-10-30 — Autumn 2000 Event

Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Darlington today?

Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Which rivers affect Darlington?

Darlington has river level monitoring on River Skerne — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Darlington?

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.

What should I do during a flood warning?

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.

Has Darlington flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 6 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.

🏠 Buying or renting around here? Get the Property Flood-Risk Report for any English postcode — official risk band, recorded floods, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off. Learn more →