Does Scarborough flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 56 postcodes in Scarborough 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 564 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 Scarborough

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Scarborough watch Sea Cut, River Derwent.

• Scarborough
  Sea Cut · 4.0 km away 0.12 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Scalby
  Sea Cut · 4.2 km away 0.24 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Forge Valley
  River Derwent · 4.9 km away No recent reading
  last reported 26 Oct 2026 06:00
• West Ayton
  River Derwent · 5.1 km away 0.16 m
  normal range · 28 min ago
• Mowthorpe
  Sea Cut · 5.8 km away 0.01 m
  normal range · steady · 28 min ago
• Mowthorpe Weir Head Structure
  River Derwent · 6.6 km away 41.25 mAOD
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 28 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Scarborough'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 Scarborough

7 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Scarborough. The EA has issued 386 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 25 Oct 2026.

• Scarborough Spa and Bandstand at Cleveland Way
  33 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2021 1.3 km
• Properties on Foreshore Road from the roundabout to West Pier
  54 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 2.0 km
• Properties on Sandside around the Old Harbour
  48 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 2.3 km
• The North Sea coast from Whitby to Filey, including Scarborough
  243 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2026 2.4 km
• Properties adjacent to Peasholm Gap and along Royal Albert Drive
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 2.9 km
• Properties in Mowthorpe and Scalby at risk from Sea Cut and in Newby from Newby Beck and Sea Cut
  3 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Oct 2023 3.7 km
• Properties in East and West Ayton, including Carr Lane, Main Street, Garth End Road and Hall Garth Lane
  no warning on record since 2006 5.2 km

Recorded floods near Scarborough

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

• 15 Feb 2020 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis Drainage
• 8 Feb 2020 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara Main river
• 7 Nov 2019 — 2019 November Flood Incident Main river
• 13 Jan 2017 — East Coast Tidal Event January 2017 Sea
• 5 Dec 2013 — East Coast Tidal Event 5th December 2013 Sea
• 30 Oct 2000 — Autumn 2000 Event River
• 2 Mar 1999 — Derwent March 1999 Event River

Rainfall near Scarborough

Scarborough gets about 745 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 79 mm; driest May, 47 mm). That is 36% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.3 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (1.1 km away), recorded 2.6 mm in the last 24 hours and 58.0 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 28 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Scarborough

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

High likelihood (29)

Medium likelihood (11)

Low likelihood (16)

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.