Data Sources
Environment Agency Real Time Flood Monitoring API
Our primary data source is the Environment Agency's Real Time Flood Monitoring API, which provides:
- Flood area designations (warning and alert areas)
- Monitoring station locations and metadata
- Live water level readings
- Active flood warnings and alerts
API documentation: environment.data.gov.uk/flood-monitoring/doc/reference
Update Frequency
| Data Type | Update Frequency |
|---|---|
| Flood warnings | Every 15 minutes (live) |
| Water level readings | Every 15 minutes (live) |
| Flood area data | Updated with each site deployment |
| Station metadata | Updated with each site deployment |
| County statistics | Updated with each site deployment |
Licence
Flood risk data is published by the Environment Agency under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This means the data is free to use, share, and adapt for any purpose, including commercial use, subject to attribution.
Attribution statement:
Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Coverage
The Environment Agency API covers England only. Flood monitoring in Scotland is provided by SEPA, and in Wales by Natural Resources Wales (NRW). We plan to add Scotland and Wales data in a future update.
Disclaimer
FloodWatch UK is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Environment Agency or any government body. The information on this site is for general guidance only. For official flood warnings and risk assessments, visit check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk.