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Dewsbury Flooding

West Yorkshire • Live river level monitoring on River Calder
1 monitoring station
1 river
8 warning areas
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Does Dewsbury flood? 264 postcodes in Dewsbury are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (54 High, 37 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Dewsbury today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-10 12:33:25 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Market town in West Yorkshire, England

Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. It is sited on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It lies to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a mill town, Dewsbury went through a period of decline. It forms part of the Heavy Woollen District, of which it is the largest town. The population of the built-up area was 63,722 at the 2021 Census.

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 Dewsbury’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.

Does Dewsbury flood?

Ordnance Survey places 264 postcodes in Dewsbury 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 4,132 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High54499208
Medium3731680
Low1573,0112,058
Very low16306246
All bands2644,1322,592

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 100 highest-likelihood of the 264 at-risk postcodes in Dewsbury

High likelihood (54)

Medium likelihood (37)

Low likelihood (157)

…and 164 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Batley · Oakenshaw · Clayton West · Scissett

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 Dewsbury

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Calder, about 50 m from the middle of Dewsbury's gauges. It flows into the River Aire (Castleford Cut) about 35 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 Calder nearest the middle of Dewsbury'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 Dewsbury

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

Monitoring Stations

The River Calder is monitored by 1 station (Dewsbury). 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 Dewsbury. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Batley Beck at Dewsbury including Longcause Way, Barn Street, Vicarage Road, Wilton Street, Link Road and Sands Lane; Dewsbury including the Power Station, Thornhill Lees, Thornhill Road area, Calder Bank Road, the football ground, Mill Street West and Mill Street East, Aldams Road, to Bretton Park Way and the Dewsbury Waste Water Treatment Works; Batley Beck at Bradford Road from the junction of Town Street to the junction of Corporation Street including Rotary Close, Meadow Lane, Low Street and Commercial Road; Batley Beck at central Batley including Alfreds Way, Well Lane, clarence Street, Hick Lane, Rouse Mill Lane, Alexandra Road, Rink Street and Saville Street.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 53 storm overflows within 5km of Dewsbury. None of the 48 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (5 have no live status right now). 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 Dewsbury, 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 Dewsbury

Dewsbury gets about 693 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 67 mm; driest May, 46 mm). That is 40% 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), 2.0 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 Dewsbury

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 →

  • 2022-02-20 — 2022 February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (Drainage)
  • 2022-02-20 — 2022 February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (Main river)
  • 2022-02-20 — 2022 February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (Main river)
  • 2022-02-20 — 2022 February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (Main river)
  • 2022-02-20 — 2022 February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (Main river)
  • 2022-02-20 — 2022 February Flood Incident -Storm Dudley, Eunice and Franklin (Main river)
  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Drainage)
  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Main river)
  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Main river)
  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Ordinary watercourse)

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

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Dewsbury today?

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

Which rivers affect Dewsbury?

Dewsbury has river level monitoring on River Calder — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Dewsbury?

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 Dewsbury flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 35 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2022. 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 →