Does Newmarket flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 102 postcodes in Newmarket 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 1,143 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 Newmarket

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Newmarket watch River Snail, River Kennett.

• Fordham
  River Snail · 7.5 km away 0.09 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Ousden
  River Kennett · 9.2 km away 0.22 m
  below normal · steady · 28 min ago
• Beck Bridge
  River Kennett · 9.8 km away -0.21 m
  below normal · steady · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Newmarket'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 Newmarket

3 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Newmarket. The EA has issued 8 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 7 Jan 2024.

• Areas of Newmarket at risk of groundwater flooding, including the High Street, and the A14 between junctions 37 and 38
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2024 2.5 km
• River Kennett from Cowlinge to Freckenham
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2023 5.7 km
• Lidgate Road and The Street in Dalham, St Peters Avenue, Church Road and Brookside in Moulton, Edgeborough Close, Bury Road and Moulton Avenue in Kentford, Badlingham, and The Street in Freckenham
  no warning on record since 2006 6.6 km

Recorded floods near Newmarket

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

• 9 Jan 2009 — 2009 Flood Outline Main river
• 1 Jan 1978 — May 1978 River
• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river

Rainfall near Newmarket

Newmarket gets about 572 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 59 mm; driest March, 33 mm). That is 51% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.0 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (7.2 km away), recorded 2.4 mm in the last 24 hours and 46.6 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Newmarket

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

High likelihood (75)

Medium likelihood (9)

Low likelihood (8)

Very low likelihood (10)

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.