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Thirsk Flooding

North Yorkshire • Live river level monitoring on Cod Beck
1 monitoring station
1 river
5 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Thirsk? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Thirsk postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Does Thirsk flood? 31 postcodes in Thirsk are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (14 High, 8 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Thirsk today: Normal

No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Updated 2026-10-08 02:15:50 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Thirsk
Thirsk
Market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England; it is known for its racecourse and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Flood Contacts
Floodline 24hr
0345 988 1188
Emergency
999
The map of Thirsk’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
28 Sep 2026 09:19 Flood Alert
North Sea coast from Staithes to Whitby including tidal River Esk
28 Sep 2026 06:10 Flood Alert
North Sea coast from Staithes to Whitby including tidal River Esk
27 Sep 2026 22:20 Flood Alert
North Sea coast from Staithes to Whitby including tidal River Esk
27 Sep 2026 17:25 Flood Alert
North Sea coast from Staithes to Whitby including tidal River Esk
13 Sep 2026 08:49 Flood Alert
North Sea coast from Staithes to Whitby including tidal River Esk
12 Sep 2026 21:14 Flood Alert
North Sea coast from Staithes to Whitby including tidal River Esk

Does Thirsk flood?

Ordnance Survey places 31 postcodes in Thirsk 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 331 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High1410786
Medium8179139
Low94513
Very low000
All bands31331238

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.

The 31 at-risk postcodes in Thirsk, worst band first

High likelihood (14)

Medium likelihood (8)

Low likelihood (9)

Postcode districts

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.

All data sources & licences

The watercourse nearest Thirsk

The nearest watercourse on the river map is Cod Beck, about 50 m from the middle of Thirsk's gauges. It flows into the River Swale about 12 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 Cod Beck nearest the middle of Thirsk'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.

Useful Links
Flood Monitoring in Thirsk

Thirsk is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Cod Beck, in North Yorkshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Cod Beck is monitored by 1 station (Thirsk). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 5 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Thirsk. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties on Finkle Street, Riverside Mews, Waterside, Todds Court and Bridge Street; Properties on the Norby Estate, St James Street, Millgate, Finkle Street and Batemans Yard including the Market Place and Mill Bridge Car Park, properties on Shire and Springfield Close and Thirsk Industrial Park; Properties in Kirby Wiske; Properties at Topcliffe and Topcliffe Mill.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 6 storm overflows within 5km of Thirsk. None of the 6 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:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Thirsk, 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.

How much rain falls on Thirsk

Thirsk gets about 680 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month August, 73 mm; driest March, 42 mm). That is 42% 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), 0.4 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Recorded floods near Thirsk

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 →

  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Drainage)
  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Main river)
  • 2021-01-18 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph (Main river)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Main river)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Main river)
  • 2020-02-15 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-08 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara (Main river)
  • 2020-02-08 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-08 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Ciara (Main river)

Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Thirsk today?

Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Which rivers affect Thirsk?

Thirsk has river level monitoring on Cod Beck — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Thirsk?

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.

What should I do during a flood warning?

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.

Has Thirsk flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 37 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2021. 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.

🏠 Buying or renting around here? Get the Property Flood-Risk Report for any English postcode — official risk band, recorded floods, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off. Learn more →