HomeUK Storms › Storm Ciara
Archive Cat 5 · Extreme

Storm Ciara

8–9 February 2020 · 2019-20 season · named by Met Office · England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland

110 mphmax gust
180 mmpeak rainfall
613flood warnings & alerts
3UK deaths
A severe wind-and-rain storm: a UK gust of 109.5mph at Capel Curig and 179.8mm of rain at Honister Pass over the weekend caused widespread flooding across northern England and Scotland, with the EA issuing 251 flood warnings and a severe flood warning on the Nidd at Pateley Bridge.

Flood footprintstorm total

1severe warnings
308flood warnings
304flood alerts
565areas
106counties
279rivers & seas

Worst-hit areas

  • West Bay Harbour4
  • Climping Seafront3
  • Coast at North Morecambe Bay3
  • Coast from Gretna to Silloth3
  • Coast from Silloth to St Bees3
  • Coast from St Bees Head to Millom3

Counties

  • North Yorkshire78
  • Lancashire69
  • Cumberland41
  • Calderdale35
  • Westmorland and Furness33
  • Leeds31

Rivers & seas

  • River Calder39
  • English Channel33
  • North Sea28
  • Irish Sea19
  • River Aire18
  • River Eden16

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
Wet Sleddale 203.2
Honister 197.4
Burnbanks 194.6
Brotherswater 181.4
Demings Moss 173.2
Dale Head 166.2
Seathwaite Farm 164.8
Thirlmere St Johns Beck 159.8
High Row 158.2
Mickleden Middle Fell Farm 149.2
Footholme 144.4
Ennerdale Black Sail 144.2

The riverspeak vs warning level

StationPeak% of warning
Liversedge Halifax Road · Lands Beck 1.34 m 382%
Keighley Dalton Lane · River Worth 2.79 m 353%
Fenton Dam · Bushy Beck 5.76 m 352%
Silsden · Silsden Beck 0.37 m 345%
Mytholmroyd Dauber Bridge · Cragg Brook 1.03 m 336%
Hindley Wrae Ford · River West Allen 1.73 m 325%
Kielder Butteryhaugh · River North Tyne 1.82 m 325%
Brookhouse Farm · Ford Green Brook 3.00 m 315%
Ramshaw Mill · River Gaunless 1.26 m 313%
Northorpe · Spen Beck 1.54 m 308%
Haydon Bridge Brigwood · River South Tyne 2.86 m 306%
Quixhill · River Churnet 2.37 m 300%

Gauge records cover 7–10 February 2020 (the storm window ± a day). Frozen 3 Jul 2026.

Storm Brendan All UK storms Storm Dennis

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.