Flood Alert Issued for Aldingbourne and Barnham Rifes in West Sussex
This alert is no longer in effect.
Environment Agency issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this Environment Agency flood warning directly from Environment Agency's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the Aldingbourne and Barnham Rifes, warning of rising water levels and potential road closures through Monday.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- West Sussex
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- Environment Agency
Flood notices turn on location and timing. Treat the named area as this record's scope; do not assume nearby counties, parishes, or waterways were included.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in West Sussex.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Alert for the Aldingbourne and Barnham Rifes. This level 3 severity alert indicates that flooding is possible and residents should remain prepared for minor impacts due to high river levels following weeks of rain.
Affected Areas
The alert covers the Aldingbourne and Barnham Rifes area within the Solent and South Downs region of West Sussex. Specific locations identified for potential impact include:
- Riverside Caravan Centre (fields, roads, and land)
- Barnham Road and Lake Lane
- Shripney Road (specifically the Tesco car park)
- General fields and land adjacent to the Rife
What You Should Do
Residents in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:
- Consider activating any available flood protection products you may have.
- Avoid driving or walking through roads that flood, specifically Barnham Road and Lake Lane.
- Monitor local conditions as unsettled weather is forecast to continue throughout February.
Expected Conditions
The Aldingbourne Rife is currently high. Persistent rainfall is forecast to continue until 17:00 on February 15, 2026. While the river is expected to rise by less than 20cm, minor flood impacts are already affecting fields and roads. The Environment Agency is currently clearing debris screens through Barnham and operating pumps at Felpham to manage water levels.
Timeline
- Persistent Rain: Forecast to continue until 17:00 on February 15, 2026.
- Road Impacts: Minor flooding is expected to affect Barnham Road and Lake Lane starting from 14:00 on February 15.
- Peak Levels: River levels are expected to peak in Barnham by 18:00 on February 15, and in Bersted by 06:00 on February 16.
- Future Outlook: On Monday, February 16, minor flooding could begin to approach the Tesco car park on Shripney Road. While only isolated showers are forecast for Monday and Tuesday, widespread rain is expected on Wednesday, February 18, which may cause the flood risk to return.
- Next Update: This message is scheduled to be updated by 20:00 on February 16, 2026.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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