Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for The Suffolk coast from Lowestoft to Bawdsey — flooding is possible from 8:30am to 10:30am on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.
Updated 2026-10-09 15:12:42 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Saxmundham is a market town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the county Suffolk, England. It is set in the valley of the River Fromus, about 18 miles (29 km) north-east of Ipswich and 5 miles (8 km) west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the main A12 road between London and Lowestoft. The town is served by Saxmundham railway station on the East Suffolk Line between Ipswich and Lowestoft. In 2021 the parish had a population of 4,777.
Towns and villages near Saxmundham with a page of their own: the homes in a flood risk area there, the nearest river gauges, and recorded floods.
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 Fromus, about 10 m from the middle of Saxmundham's gauges. It flows into the River Alde about 7.3 km downstream.
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 Fromus nearest the middle of Saxmundham'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.
Saxmundham is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the River Fromus, in Suffolk. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The River Fromus is monitored by 1 station (Saxmundham). 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 Saxmundham. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: The Thorpeness Hundred River from Knodishall to Aldringham; The Rivers Minsmere and Yox, from Peasenhall and Sibton to the Minsmere Levels, including Yoxford, Middleton and Eastbridge; The Rivers Minsmere and Yox, from Sibton and Peasenhall to the Minsmere Levels, including Yoxford, Middleton and Eastbridge; Snape, Iken and surrounding marshland.
There is 1 storm overflow within 5km of Saxmundham. None of the 1 with a reporting monitor is currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.
It has its own page of live status and past discharges:
If flooding is forecast in Saxmundham, 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.
Saxmundham gets about 623 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 63 mm; driest April, 36 mm). That is 46% 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), 1.4 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: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: the Environment Agency has a Flood Alert in force for The Suffolk coast from Lowestoft to Bawdsey — flooding is possible from 8:30am to 10:30am on Saturday 10th October. Flooding is possible — be prepared and keep an eye on updates.
Saxmundham has river level monitoring on River Fromus — 1 monitoring station 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 2 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2013. 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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