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Wareham Flooding

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

Flood risk in Wareham today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-09 18:45:27 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Wareham
Wareham
Market town in Dorset, England

Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles (13 km) southwest of Poole.

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 Wareham’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
30 Sep 2026 09:19 Flood Alert
Weymouth Harbour
29 Sep 2026 11:14 Flood Alert
Weymouth Harbour
15 Apr 2026 10:07 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the West of Dorset
6 Apr 2026 12:15 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the West of Dorset
30 Mar 2026 11:46 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the West of Dorset
30 Mar 2026 11:38 Flood Warning
Groundwater flooding for the South Winterbourne Valley

The watercourse nearest Wareham

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Frome (tidal here), about 30 m from the middle of Wareham's gauges. It flows into Main Channel about 13 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 Frome nearest the middle of Wareham'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 Wareham

Wareham is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Dorset Coast, in Dorset. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Dorset Coast is monitored by 1 station (Wareham). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Wareham. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Areas in East Stoke, Holmebridge, Stoborough, Stoborough Green, Wareham, Redcliffe, Ridge and Swineham; Wareham Quay, Ridge, Redcliffe and Swineham areas; Castletown, Weymouth, Preston Beach, Swanage Bay, Studland Bay, Sandbanks, Poole Harbour, Bournemouth Beach, Hengistbury Head and Christchurch Harbour; Poole Harbour and tidal stretches of the Lower Frome and River Piddle.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 9 storm overflows within 5km of Wareham. None of the 9 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging. 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:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Wareham, 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 Wareham

Wareham gets about 853 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 108 mm; driest July, 47 mm). That is 27% 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 Wareham

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 →

  • 2014-02-07 — Wareham_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (Main river)
  • 1959-01-23 — Jan 1959 Avon & Frome (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 Wareham today?

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

Which rivers affect Wareham?

Wareham has river level monitoring on Dorset Coast — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Wareham?

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 Wareham flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 9 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2014. 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 →