Flood Alert Issued for East Coast of Dorset; Swanage at Risk of Wave Overtopping
This alert is no longer in effect.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 East coast of Dorset, with Swanage at particular risk of wave overtopping on the morning of February 18.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- East Coast of Dorset
- 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 Coast of Dorset.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the East coast of Dorset within the Wessex area. This alert indicates that flooding is possible during the high tide window on the morning of February 18, 2026.
Affected Areas
The geographic scope of this alert covers the East coast of Dorset, including regions within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, as well as the Dorset Council area. Swanage has been identified as the location most at risk, specifically the lower end of High Street road near the Pier Head.
What You Should Do
Residents and visitors are advised to avoid parking vehicles at the lower end of High Street in Swanage due to the threat of wave overtopping and flying debris. The public should stay away from coastal roads, footpaths, and carparks that may be subject to flooding. Do not put yourself or others at risk by entering potentially hazardous coastal areas.
Expected Conditions
A peak tidal level of 1.0mAODN is forecast at Bournemouth at 9:20 AM. Conditions include waves reaching heights of 2.70 meters and south-easterly winds at force 6. These factors contribute to the risk of wave overtopping and flooding of low-lying land along the English Channel.
Timeline
The flood alert is effective from 07:00 AM to 11:00 AM on 18 February 2026. The Environment Agency is closely monitoring the situation and expects to provide an update by 3:00 PM on 18 February 2026, or sooner if conditions change significantly.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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