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Archive Cat 2 · Moderate

Storm Abigail

12–13 November 2015 · 2015-16 season · named by Met Office · Scotland

84 mphmax gust
56flood warnings & alerts
The first-ever Met Office named storm brought high winds, rain and lightning to north and northwest Scotland, cutting power to over 20,000 homes; impact was mainly wind rather than widespread flooding.

Flood footprintstorm total

0severe warnings
6flood warnings
50flood alerts
47areas
22counties
29rivers & seas

Worst-hit areas

  • River Calder Upper Catchment3
  • Earby Beck and Glusburn Beck Catchments2
  • Lower River Ure2
  • North Sea Coast at Bridlington2
  • River Aire Upper Catchment2
  • Severn Estuary at Severn Beach2

Counties

  • North Yorkshire15
  • Bradford8
  • Cumberland5
  • East Riding of Yorkshire5
  • Norfolk5
  • Suffolk5

Rivers & seas

  • North Sea8
  • Bristol Channel5
  • North Cornwall Coast3
  • River Calder, Walsden Water, Hebden Water3
  • River Nidd3
  • River Ouse3

Flood mapthe storm's flood footprint

Red/amber rings mark rivers that reached or came close to their own high level during the storm — the most direct evidence of likely flooding (the gauge measures the river, not any one property). Solid dots mark each flood area's reference point, coloured by the most severe warning raised there — a warning means flooding was expected. Shaded shapes are the Environment Agency's recorded flood outlines: land actually observed flooded, published retrospectively (updated quarterly). England data only.

The rainstorm-total by gauge

GaugeTotal mm
Ennerdale Black Sail 261.6
Seathwaite Farm 250.4
Honister 235.6
Mickleden Middle Fell Farm 215.4
Wastwater Hotel 196.8
Littondale 165.8
Brotherswater 137.0
Dale Head 136.2
Far Gearstones 134.8
Beckermonds 134.8
Aisgill 129.6
Seathwaite Tarn 126.2

The riverspeak vs warning level

StationPeak% of warning
Brookhouse Farm · Ford Green Brook 2.57 m 271%
Wensor Bridge, Shelton · River Devon 4.58 m 269%
Silsden · Silsden Beck 0.28 m 262%
Calder Hall · River Calder 1.28 m 248%
Hynam Bridge · River Gelt 1.75 m 236%
Coney Gut · Coney Gut 1.66 m 204%
Ferrybridge Fishergate · Wash Dike 0.43 m 203%
Whitewater Bridge · River Maun 1.60 m 200%
Cononley · River Aire 2.05 m 193%
Lodore · Derwentwater 2.62 m 187%
Greenholme · River Irthing 3.12 m 180%
Roe Bridge · River Brock 2.56 m 171%

Gauge records cover 11–14 November 2015 (the storm window ± a day). Frozen 3 Jul 2026.

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FloodRadar compiles Environment Agency warning history, gauge data and public reporting. It is not an emergency service and does not replace official flood warnings — always follow official guidance during a storm.