Does Purley flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 72 postcodes in Purley 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 1,294 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 Purley

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Purley watch River Wandle, Norbury Brook, Pyl Brook, St James Stream, River Graveney, The Beck.

• Waddon Ponds
  River Wandle · 3.9 km away -0.05 mASD
  below normal · steady · 30 min ago
• Beddington Park
  River Wandle · 4.5 km away 0.24 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Carshalton Ponds
  River Wandle · 4.9 km away 0.07 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Hackbridge
  River Wandle · 5.6 km away 1.12 mASD
  below normal · steady · 30 min ago
• Thornton Heath
  Norbury Brook · 6.5 km away 0.98 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• North Cheam
  Pyl Brook · 7.9 km away 1.05 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Upper Elmers End
  St James Stream · 8.0 km away 0.39 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Abercairn Road
  River Graveney · 9.1 km away 0.86 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Morden Park
  Pyl Brook · 9.4 km away 0.46 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago
• Beckenham
  The Beck · 9.8 km away 0.45 mASD
  normal range · steady · 30 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Purley'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 Purley

9 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Purley. The EA has issued 59 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 18 Jul 2025.

• Areas at risk of groundwater flooding in the Caterham Bourne catchment including Caterham, Whyteleafe, Kenley, Purley, South Croydon, Beddington and Carshalton
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2014 2.2 km
• River Wandle at Beddington Park including Hackbridge and Waddon, London Boroughs of Sutton and Croydon
  no warning on record since 2006 4.8 km
• Norbury Brook at Thornton Heath and Streatham Vale, including Norbury and Norbury Park, London Boroughs of Croydon and Lambeth
  no warning on record since 2006 7.8 km
• River Wandle at Morden, including Morden Hall Park, London Borough of Merton
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2023 8.3 km
• Chaffinch Brook and St James Stream at Elmers End and Upper Elmers End, including South Norwood Country Park, London Boroughs of Bromley and Croydon
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2024 8.4 km
• River Wandle area in the London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton, Lambeth, Croydon and Sutton. Including the Norbury Brook from Thornton Heath to Tooting
  51 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jul 2025 8.4 km
• Pyl Brook at North Cheam including Kimpton Industrial Estate, London Boroughs of Merton and Sutton
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Oct 2023 8.8 km
• East Pyl Brook at Morden Park from the A24 to West Barnes, London Borough of Merton
  no warning on record since 2006 9.1 km
• Beck at Beckenham, London Borough of Bromley
  no warning on record since 2006 9.7 km

Recorded floods near Purley

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

• 23 Dec 2013 — 07302C200_Dec2013_Medway_Eden_Teise_Beult Main river

Rainfall near Purley

Purley gets about 757 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 84 mm; driest March, 47 mm). That is 35% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.4 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (1.0 km away), recorded 0.0 mm in the last 24 hours and 11.8 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 30 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Purley

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

High likelihood (57)

Medium likelihood (7)

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.