Does Royal Tunbridge Wells flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Royal Tunbridge Wells

Ordnance Survey places 29 postcodes in Royal Tunbridge Wells 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 311 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 Royal Tunbridge Wells

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Royal Tunbridge Wells watch River Medway, River Teise, Eden Tributary Medway, Eridge Stream Tributary Medway.

• Town Lock Structure
  River Medway · 6.0 km away 1.20 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 28 min ago
• Bartley Mill
  River Teise · 6.3 km away 0.17 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Leigh Flood Storage Area
  River Medway · 6.5 km away 0.92 m
  around typical high · 28 min ago
• Colliers Land Bridge
  River Medway · 6.9 km away 0.18 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Chafford
  River Medway · 7.3 km away 0.20 m
  normal range · rising · 28 min ago
• Penshurst
  Eden Tributary Medway · 7.8 km away 0.33 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Hendal Bridge
  Eridge Stream Tributary Medway · 7.9 km away 0.17 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Hartlake Bridge
  River Medway · 7.9 km away 0.68 m
  normal range · rising · 28 min ago
• Lamberhurst
  River Teise · 9.4 km away 0.12 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Vexour Bridge
  Eden Tributary Medway · 9.5 km away 1.17 m
  normal range · falling · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Royal Tunbridge Wells'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 Royal Tunbridge Wells

8 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Royal Tunbridge Wells. The EA has issued 83 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 6 Feb 2026.

• Southborough Stream from High Brooms to Tonbridge
  no warning on record since 2006 3.8 km
• Southborough Stream from Tunbridge Wells to Tonbridge
  no warning on record since 2006 4.1 km
• River Medway between Penshurst and the Leigh Flood Storage area
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2015 6.3 km
• River Medway at Tonbridge and Hildenborough including Tudeley, Golden Green, Whetsted and Hartlake
  no warning on record since 2006 6.8 km
• Properties at risk of flooding in Leigh Village
  no warning on record since 2006 7.3 km
• River Medway from Penshurst to Hampstead Lock at Yalding, including the Leigh Flood Storage area, the Ensfield Road, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood, the Hop Farm, East Peckham, Branbridges and Hale Street
  44 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 7.7 km
• River Teise area from Lamberhurst to Goudhurst, including the River Bewl and tributaries of the River Teise
  37 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 9.2 km
• Bourne at Hadlow and Golden Green
  no warning on record since 2006 9.5 km

Recorded floods near Royal Tunbridge Wells

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Royal Tunbridge Wells, 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
• 11 Oct 2000 — 07302C200_OCT2000_Medway Main river
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07303C200_SEPT1968_Medway_Forest Row_Groombridge Ordinary watercourse
• 14 Sep 1968 — 07302C200_SEPT1968_Medway_Edenbridge_Yalding Main river
• 2 Nov 1960 — 07302C200_NOV1960_0010_Medway_Tonbridge Main river
• 2 Nov 1960 — 07302C200_NOV1960_Medway_Edenbridge_Yalding Main river
• 2 Nov 1960 — 07303C200_NOV1960_Medway_Forest Row_Groombridge Main river
• 2 Nov 1960 — 07302C200_NOV1960_Teise_Lamberhurst Main river
• 5 Sep 1958 — 07303C500_SEPT1958_EdenbridgetoEastPeckham Other

Rainfall near Royal Tunbridge Wells

Royal Tunbridge Wells gets about 763 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 88 mm; driest April, 49 mm). That is 34% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.5 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (6.5 km away), recorded 2.5 mm in the last 24 hours and 58.3 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Royal Tunbridge Wells

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

High likelihood (5)

Medium likelihood (5)

Low likelihood (19)

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.