Does North Weald Bassett flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about North Weald Bassett

Ordnance Survey places 22 postcodes in North Weald Bassett 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 284 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 North Weald Bassett

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of North Weald Bassett watch Cripsey Brook, River Roding, Pincey Brook, River Stort, Pishiobury Brook, Canons Brook.

• Moreton
  Cripsey Brook · 4.5 km away 0.13 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Chipping Ongar Structure
  Cripsey Brook · 5.1 km away 0.15 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 35 min ago
• High Ongar
  River Roding · 6.3 km away 0.09 m
  normal range · steady · 35 min ago
• Shonks Mill Bridge
  River Roding · 6.7 km away 0.45 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Abridge
  River Roding · 7.8 km away 1.18 m
  normal range · steady · 35 min ago
• Sheering Hall Structure
  Pincey Brook · 8.6 km away 0.16 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 35 min ago
• Harlow Mill
  River Stort · 9.1 km away 1.03 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Pishiobury Brook
  Pishiobury Brook · 9.1 km away 1.01 m
  normal range · 35 min ago
• Harlow, Elizabeth Way
  Canons Brook · 9.1 km away 0.14 m
  normal range · just past its peak · 35 min ago

Distances are from the middle of North Weald Bassett'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 North Weald Bassett

12 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of North Weald Bassett. The EA has issued 178 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 16 Feb 2026.

• The Cripsey Brook including Thornwood Common, North Weald Bassett, Moreton and Chipping Ongar
  34 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2025 3.3 km
• The Cripsey Brook at Moreton from Weald Bridge to Shelley Common
  no warning on record since 2006 4.3 km
• The Cripsey Brook at Chipping Ongar including Shelley
  no warning on record since 2006 5.1 km
• The Upper River Roding including Molehill Green, Dunmow, Ongar, Fyfield, High Ongar and Stapleford
  38 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 5.5 km
• The River Roding from Ongar to Stapleford including Hallsford Bridge, and Shonk's Mill
  no warning on record since 2006 5.8 km
• The River Roding at Fyfield including High Ongar Bridge
  no warning on record since 2006 6.8 km
• The Canons Brook and its tributaries from Harlow to Parndon Mead including, Great Parndon, Hare Street and Little Parndon
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jun 2025 7.9 km
• The River Roding at Abridge
  8 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2019 8.3 km
• The Pincey Brook near Sheering
  no warning on record since 2006 8.8 km
• The Middle River Roding including Abridge, Loughton, Brookhouse Brook and Buckhurst Hill
  86 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 9.5 km
• The River Stort at Harlow including Roydon
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2021 9.8 km
• The River Stort at Sawbridgeworth
  4 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest May 2012 9.8 km

Recorded floods near North Weald Bassett

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

• 21 Oct 2001 — 06OctoberAutumn2001 Main river
• 1 Oct 1993 — 06OctoberAutumn1993 Main river
• 1 Jan 1993 — 06OctoberAutumn1993 Main river
• 1 Jan 1993 — 06JuneSummer1993 Main river
• 1 Jan 1992 — 06OctoberAutumn1992 Main river
• 1 Jan 1992 — 06SeptemberAutumn1992 Main river
• 1 Jan 1990 — 06FebruaryWinter1990 Main river
• 1 Jan 1987 — 06JulySummer1987 Main river
• 1 Jan 1987 — 06OctoberAutumn1987 Drainage
• 1 Jan 1987 — 06AugustSummer1987 Main river
• 1 Jan 1987 — 06SeptemberSummer1987 Main river
• 1 Jan 1981 — 06DecemberWinter1981 Main river

…and 5 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near North Weald Bassett

North Weald Bassett gets about 654 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 71 mm; driest March, 39 mm). That is 44% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.7 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (2.3 km away), recorded 3.2 mm in the last 24 hours and 42.2 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 35 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in North Weald Bassett

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

High likelihood (3)

Medium likelihood (1)

Low likelihood (10)

Very low likelihood (8)

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.