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Does Reading flood? 316 postcodes in Reading are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (51 High, 51 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.
No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.
Updated 2026-10-09 15:10:51 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Reading is a town and borough in Berkshire, England, and the county town of Berkshire. It is Berkshire's largest town, with a total population of 203,795 in its built-up area as of 2021. Most of its built-up area lies within the Borough of Reading, although some outer suburbs are parts of neighbouring local authority areas. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers Thames and Kennet.
Ordnance Survey places 316 postcodes in Reading 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 4,720 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 51 | 455 | 392 |
| Medium | 51 | 627 | 558 |
| Low | 197 | 3,489 | 3,062 |
| Very low | 17 | 149 | 130 |
| All bands | 316 | 4,720 | 4,142 |
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.
…and 216 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.
Flood-risk bands: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this map are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH). © Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2025 OS AC0000807064. This product is produced in part from PAF® and Multiple Residence Data, the copyright in which is owned by Royal Mail Group Limited and/or Royal Mail Group plc. All rights reserved. Licence number AC0000807064.
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 the River Thames, about 190 m from the middle of Reading'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 the River Thames nearest the middle of Reading'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.
Reading is monitored by 3 Environment Agency river level stations on the River Kennet, the River Thames, in Reading. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The River Kennet is monitored by 1 station (Blakes Lock). The River Thames is monitored by 2 stations (Caversham Lock, Reading). 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 Reading. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: River Thames at Reading and Caversham including the Portman Road and Richfield Avenue industrial estates, Caversham Road area of Reading and the Lower Caversham area; River Thames from Mapledurham to Sonning, including Mapledurham, Reading, Caversham, Playhatch and Sonning; River Thames from Scours Lane, Reading to Caversham Lakes, including the Chazey Court Farm, Caversham Bridge, Fry's Island, Reading Bridge areas and parts of Queen's Road and Mill Green areas of Lower Caversham; River Thames in the Playhatch, Sonning and Sonning Eye area.
There are 3 storm overflows within 5km of Reading. None of the 3 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 Reading, 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.
Reading gets about 652 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 73 mm; driest March, 40 mm). That is 44% 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), 1.5 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.
Reading has river level monitoring on River Kennet, River Thames — 3 monitoring stations 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.
Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 61 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2002. That is a count of mapped extents, not of separate floods. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See the flood history link below.
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