Flood Alert Issued for Cuckmere River in East Sussex Following Heavy Rainfall Forecast
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Cuckmere River, warning of potential flooding in Hellingly and Alfriston starting Wednesday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- East Sussex, South East England
- 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 East Sussex, South East England.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the Cuckmere River within the Solent and South Downs area. This alert, classified as severity level 3, was raised on February 18, 2026, in response to a forecast of sustained rainfall expected to impact the region through Thursday.
Affected Areas
The alert covers specific geographic regions within East Sussex along the Cuckmere River. Locations identified as at risk include:
- Hellingly: Gardens and low-lying areas on Hammer Lane, Grove Hill, Mill Lane, Station Road, Church Lane, and Church Road.
- Alfriston: North Street, River Lane, The Old Clergy House, and Deans Place Hotel.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers are advised to avoid roads that are prone to flooding, specifically Mill Lane and Church Road in Hellingly, and North Street in Alfriston. The Environment Agency urges individuals not to put themselves or others at risk by entering floodwaters. Residents should monitor local conditions closely, as further isolated property flooding could be possible if rainfall exceeds current forecasts.
Expected Conditions
Rain is forecast to continue from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday. While the primary threat currently involves gardens and roads, isolated property flooding remains a possibility. Following the main weather front, only isolated showers are expected for Thursday afternoon, Friday, and the upcoming weekend. Unsettled weather may continue throughout the remainder of February.
Timeline
The alert was officially raised at 15:24 on February 18, 2026. Flooding impacts are expected to begin in Hellingly at 18:00 on February 18 and in Alfriston at 06:00 on February 19. River levels are projected to begin falling by 12:00 on February 19 in Hellingly and by 22:00 in Alfriston. Levels are expected to return to near-normal conditions by Saturday, February 21. This message is scheduled for an update by 20:00 on February 19, 2026.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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