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Live Environment Agency flood warnings for the Wensum and Yare through Norwich, the upstream gauges that move first, and who to call if water is rising.
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Checked against the Environment Agency every 15 minutes.
No flood warnings or alerts in force
Levels are measured against each gauge’s usual range — “above typical” doesn’t mean flooding, but it’s the first thing that moves when water is on its way.
| Gauge | Speaks for | Reading | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wensum at Costessey Mill | The Wensum at the city's north-west doorstep — the last gauge with a published typical range before the river enters Norwich | 0.237 m | Below typical range |
| Wensum at Swanton Morley | The upper Wensum, well upstream of the city — rises here show up in Norwich later, so this is the early signal | 0.109 m | Within typical range |
| Yare at Colney | The Yare entering the city's south-west edge — Colney, the hospital and UEA marshes, Cringleford and Eaton | 0.127 m | Below typical range |
| Tas at Shotesham | The Tas valley south of Norwich, which feeds the Yare just upstream of Trowse | 0.143 m | Below typical range |
Each reading is metres on that gauge’s own scale, so compare a gauge with itself over time — not one gauge with another.
Flood risk in Norwich is specific, not citywide. The Environment Agency keeps three standing flood areas here: two warning areas for riverside properties on the Wensum through the city — including Bishopgate, Riverside and the streets around Carrow Road — and a broader alert area covering the Wensum from New Costessey to Thorpe Bridge. If any of them is activated, it appears under 'Warnings in force' above.
The Environment Agency's gauges inside Norwich itself — New Mills, Hellesdon Mill, Trowse Mill and Carrow Bridge — report levels but don't publish a typical range through the public API, so we can't honestly say whether their reading is high or normal. Costessey Mill, just upstream, does publish one, so it stands in as the closest meaningful gauge. The official GOV.UK page linked below lists the city-centre stations with their raw levels.
Floodline is open 24 hours: 0345 988 1188 (textphone 0345 602 6340). You can also sign up there for free flood warnings by phone or text. If flooding puts anyone in immediate danger, call 999.
Checked 24 August at 2:49. Uses Environment Agency flood and river level data from the real-time data API (Beta), Open Government Licence. Official warnings: check for flooding on GOV.UK.
No flood warnings in force
River gauges within their typical range