HomeUK Storms › Storm Frank
Archive Cat 3 · Significant

Storm Frank

29–30 December 2015 · 2015-16 season · named by Met Office · Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland

85 mphmax gust
128flood warnings & alerts
3UK deaths
Severe gales (gusting 85mph in NW Scotland) and persistent heavy rain caused major flooding in Scotland, with the Dee, Nith and Tweed inundating Ballater (around 300 homes), Dumfries and Peebles, plus renewed flooding in Cumbria.

Flood footprintstorm total

1severe warnings
25flood warnings
102flood alerts
125areas
42counties
104rivers & seas

Worst-hit areas

  • North Sea Coast at Bridlington3
  • River Clyst from Broadclyst to Clyst St. Mary2
  • Barnstaple, Braunton, Ilfracombe and Combe Martin Area1
  • Bow and Piddle Brook1
  • Burton Trent1
  • Chiswell1

Counties

  • Devon32
  • Cumberland15
  • Somerset13
  • Cornwall11
  • Gloucestershire10
  • Dorset Council10

Rivers & seas

  • English Channel4
  • South Cornwall Coast4
  • North Sea3
  • River Clyst3
  • River Eden3
  • Bristol River Avon2

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
Mickleden Middle Fell Farm 154.6
High Row 147.0
Seathwaite Farm 146.6
Dale Head 143.2
Thirlmere St Johns Beck 123.2
Honister 117.6
Brotherswater 96.8
Ennerdale Black Sail 91.4
Boot 89.2
Prewley 87.8
Seathwaite Tarn 84.2
Wet Sleddale 82.8

The riverspeak vs warning level

StationPeak% of warning
Rawcliffe · Blue Beck 3.78 m 375%
Castle Foregate · Bagley Brook 1.28 m 298%
Brookhouse Farm · Ford Green Brook 2.71 m 285%
Broom · River Arrow 1.26 m 258%
Viking Recorder · River Ouse 4.86 m 256%
Calder Hall · River Calder 1.31 m 254%
Wensor Bridge, Shelton · River Devon 4.23 m 248%
Stanford Bridge · River Teme 3.31 m 242%
Viewly Bridge · River Wiske 2.00 m 241%
Shipston · River Stour 2.33 m 240%
Burton Bradstock · River Bride 1.23 m 232%
Culmstock · River Culm 1.59 m 227%

Gauge records cover 28–31 December 2015 (the storm window ± a day). Frozen 3 Jul 2026.

Storm Eva All UK storms Storm Gertrude

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.