Does Haywards Heath flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 36 postcodes in Haywards Heath 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 202 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 Haywards Heath

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Haywards Heath watch Salfords Stream, River Ouse.

• Scrasebridge
  Salfords Stream · 1.3 km away 0.06 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Lindfield Bridge
  River Ouse · 2.0 km away 1.26 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Ardingly
  River Ouse · 3.1 km away 0.10 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Freshfield Bridge
  River Ouse · 4.9 km away -0.03 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Goldbridge
  River Ouse · 10.0 km away 0.30 m
  normal range · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Haywards Heath'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 Haywards Heath

6 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Haywards Heath. The EA has issued 179 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 27 Aug 2026.

• Scrase Bridge Stream & West Common Stream at Haywards Heath and Lindfield
  12 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Aug 2026 0.6 km
• Scrase Bridge Stream at Lindfield including the West Common Stream
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest May 2024 1.0 km
• Sussex River Ouse at Lindfield Bridge including Pims Lock
  17 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 2.1 km
• Sussex River Ouse and tributaries from Slaugham to Ardingly including the Shell Brook
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2022 3.5 km
• Sussex River Ouse from Freshfield Bridge to Sharpsbridge including Sheffield Park Station and Fletching Mill
  13 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest May 2024 4.8 km
• Upper Ouse and tributaries from Slaugham to Barcombe Mills
  131 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 7.2 km

Recorded floods near Haywards Heath

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

• 22 Jan 2009 — 07421J701FEO_Jan2009_Middle Ouse Main river

Rainfall near Haywards Heath

Haywards Heath gets about 909 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 108 mm; driest June, 55 mm). That is 22% 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 (3.3 km away), recorded 2.7 mm in the last 24 hours and 80.0 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Haywards Heath

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

High likelihood (8)

Medium likelihood (15)

Low likelihood (13)

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.