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No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Updated 2026-10-09 13:00:19 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Highcliffe or Highcliffe-on-Sea is a seaside town in the civil parish of Highcliffe and Walkford, in the unitary authority area of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, in the ceremonial county of Dorset in England. It forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation along the English Channel coast. The town lies on a picturesque stretch of Solent coastline with views of the Isle of Wight and its 'Needles' rocks. It is part of the historic county of Hampshire. From 1974 to 2019 it was in the Christchurch district.
Towns and villages near Highcliffe with a page of their own: the homes in a flood risk area there, the nearest river gauges, and recorded floods.
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.
The nearest watercourse on the river map is Walkford Brook, about 10 m from the middle of Highcliffe's gauges. It flows on to the sea.
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 Walkford Brook nearest the middle of Highcliffe'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.
Highcliffe is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Walkford Brook, in Hampshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The Walkford Brook is monitored by 1 station (Chewton Glen). 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 Highcliffe. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Becton Bunny from the A337 to Barton on Sea including Highlands Road, Farm Lane South and Becton Lane; Becton Bunny from the A337 to Becton Lane; Danes Stream from Ashley (New Milton) to Milford on Sea; Danes Stream from Ashley to Milford on Sea.
There are 4 storm overflows within 5km of Highcliffe. None of the 4 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.
Each has its own page of live status and past discharges:
If flooding is forecast in Highcliffe, 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.
Highcliffe gets about 798 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 105 mm; driest July, 46 mm). That is 31% 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), 1.6 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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 →
Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.
Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Highcliffe has river level monitoring on Walkford Brook — 1 monitoring station 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.
No recorded flood outline is mapped around the Highcliffe town centre means no flood was mapped here, which is not evidence none happened: the Environment Agency mapped only some floods, mapping effort rose sharply after about 2000, and surface-water flooding is largely absent from this record. FloodRadar has separately logged 10 flood warnings or alerts for the Hampshire area since February 2026. See the flood history link below.
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