Does Northstowe flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 24 postcodes in Northstowe 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 479 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 Northstowe

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Northstowe watch Oakington Brook, Washpit Brook, Swavesey Drain, River Great Ouse, River Cam.

• Oakington
  Oakington Brook · 3.5 km away 0.27 m
  below normal · steady · 28 min ago
• Girton
  Washpit Brook · 4.9 km away 0.86 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Webbs Hole Sluice Structure
  Swavesey Drain · 5.7 km away 0.69 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 47 min ago
• Brownshill
  River Great Ouse · 6.5 km away 0.53 m
  normal range · just past its peak · 58 min ago
• Earith
  River Great Ouse · 7.6 km away 1.96 m
  normal range · 58 min ago
• Cambridge Jesus Lock Structure
  River Cam · 9.2 km away 0.72 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 58 min ago
• St Ives
  River Great Ouse · 9.7 km away 0.13 m
  normal range · rising · 58 min ago
• Cambridge Baits Bite
  River Cam · 9.7 km away 0.24 m
  normal range · 58 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Northstowe'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 Northstowe

16 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Northstowe. The EA has issued 109 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 6 Feb 2026.

• Dry Drayton Road, The Broadway, Cambridge Road, Orchard Way, Longstanton Road, Mead View, The Drift, Lowbury Cresent, Water Lane, Kettles Close, Holme Close, Arcadia Gardens, Cherry Orchard and Station Road in Oakington and Oakington Road in Westwick
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2021 3.2 km
• Woodlands Close, Dodford Lane, Fairway, Northfield and Oakington Road in Girton
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2020 4.5 km
• Cottenham Lode including Oakington Brook, Wash Pit Brook and Beck Brook
  31 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2025 4.7 km
• Hollywell Front in Hollywell, Overcote Lane in Needingworth and Hale Road, Taylors Lane, Blackhorse Lane, Station Road, Over Road, High Street, Chantry Close, Moat Way, Whitegate Close, Thistle Green, Greenside Close and Cow Fen Drove in Swavesey
  no warning on record since 2006 5.3 km
• Overcote Road Horseware, Fen End and Hitherford in Over, Needingworth Road in Bluntisham and High Street, Marina Drive, Kingfisher Court, The Waterhaven and Earith Bridge in Earith
  no warning on record since 2006 6.2 km
• Cottenham, Haddenham, Sutton, Wilingham, Stretham, Landbeach, Wilburton, Waterbeach, Over, Hollywell-cum-Needingworth
  no warning on record since 2006 6.6 km
• Low Road, Hall Green Lane, Manor Drive and Honey Hill in Fenstanton, Daintrees Road, Dovecote Close and High Street in Fen Drayton
  no warning on record since 2006 7.7 km
• River Great Ouse from Brampton to Earith, including Back Brook, Hall Green Brook, Parsons Drove Drain, Swavesey Drain and Wadsbys Folly
  41 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 8.1 km
• Harding Way, Nursery Gardens, Russet Close, Bramley Road, Elsworth Close, Rookery Close, Sheepfold, Great Fathing Close, Little Fathing Close, Fathing Lane, Brookway, Willow Way, Abbey Retail Park, Parson Green and Parsons Drove
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 8.8 km
• Westwood Road, Ramsey Road, Broad Leas, Warren Road, The Broadway, West Street, East Street, Needingworth Road, Station Road, New Road, London Road, Low Road, Dunnock Way and Greenfields
  no warning on record since 2006 9.5 km
• Fen Road in Milton, Church End House and Clayhithe Road in Horningsea, Whitmore Way, Station Road, Adams Court, Lode Avenue, Burgess Road, Burgess Drove, Bannold Road and Bannold Drove in Waterbeach
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Nov 2023 9.6 km
• Bin Brook at Newnham in Cambridge
  20 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2025 9.7 km

Recorded floods near Northstowe

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

• 1 Jan 2001 — October 2001
• 9 Apr 1998 — LNA_1998_April_River Nene_d/s Northampton Main river
• 1 Jan 1998 — Easter 1998 River
• 1 Jan 1993 — October 1993 River
• 1 Jan 1978 — May 1978
• 1 Jan 1947 — March 1947 River

Rainfall near Northstowe

Northstowe gets about 558 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 57 mm; driest March, 33 mm). That is 52% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.9 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (4.4 km away), recorded 2.6 mm in the last 24 hours and 39.7 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Northstowe

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

High likelihood (24)

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.