FloodRadar
Log inCreate free account
FloodRadar
Log inCreate free account
Does Wakefield flood? 362 postcodes in Wakefield are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (39 High, 100 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 2026-10-08 01:34:49 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England, located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield, which had a 2025 population of 369,450, the 26th most populous district in England. It is part of the West Yorkshire Built-up Area and the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
Ordnance Survey places 362 postcodes in Wakefield 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 5,323 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 39 | 144 | 49 |
| Medium | 100 | 1,179 | 821 |
| Low | 168 | 3,027 | 2,214 |
| Very low | 55 | 973 | 629 |
| All bands | 362 | 5,323 | 3,713 |
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 262 more at-risk postcodes, listed on the district pages below.
Normanton · Rothwell · Featherstone · Mickletown · Batley · Allerton Bywater · Clayton West
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.
Two mapped watercourses are about the same distance from the middle of Wakefield's gauges: Ings Beck (about 40 m) and Chald Beck (about 50 m), so this page cannot say which one is nearer to you.
Distances along the river are from the point on each watercourse nearest the middle of Wakefield'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.
Wakefield is monitored by 5 Environment Agency river level stations on the Alverthorpe Beck, the Ings Beck, the Oakenshaw Beck, the River Calder, in West Yorkshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.
The Alverthorpe Beck is monitored by 1 station (Wakefield Grasmere Road). The Ings Beck is monitored by 2 stations (Wakefield Colinsway, Wakefield Westgate). The Oakenshaw Beck is monitored by 1 station (Wakefield Oakenshaw). The River Calder is monitored by 1 station (Wakefield). 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 Wakefield. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Wakefield Westgate, Darnley including Rufford Street, Westgate Retail Park and Thornes; Alverthorpe Beck, Balne Beck, Ings Beck and Oakenshaw Beck in Wakefield; The Prison area in Wakefield including Moorhouse Avenue and adjoining roads, Alverthorpe Road, Victoria Avenue and Elder Green; Wakefield including Belle Isle, Fall Ings and Belle Vue.
There are 49 storm overflows within 5km of Wakefield. None of the 46 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (3 have no live status right now). Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.
6 of them, nearest first, with their own page of live status and past discharges:
If flooding is forecast in Wakefield, 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.
Wakefield gets about 663 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month June, 64 mm; driest February, 45 mm). That is 43% 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), 2.2 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.
Wakefield has river level monitoring on Alverthorpe Beck, Ings Beck, Oakenshaw Beck, River Calder — 5 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 34 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2022. 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.
FloodRadar helper · beta