Flood Alert Issued for Lower Stour and Tributaries in Dorset and Hampshire
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Lower Stour and tributaries, warning of high river levels affecting low-lying land and roads between Wimborne and Christchurch.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- Dorset and Hampshire
- 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 Dorset and Hampshire.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Alert for the Lower Stour and its tributaries. This alert, classified as severity level 3, indicates that flooding is possible in the Wessex area following recent heavy rainfall.
Affected Areas
The alert covers the Lower Stour and its tributaries, specifically impacting locations between Wimborne and Christchurch. The geographic scope includes:
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Dorset Council
- Hampshire
The primary watercourses affected are the River Allen and the River Stour.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:
- Avoid using low-lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses.
- Do not attempt to walk, cycle, or drive through flood water. Just 30cm of fast-flowing water is enough to move a vehicle.
- Monitor local authority websites for information regarding road closures.
Expected Conditions
River levels remain high due to recent rainfall. While no further rainfall is forecast over the next couple of days, flooding is expected to continue affecting low-lying land and roads. The Environment Agency is continuing to monitor the situation.
Timeline
The alert was raised at 3:17 PM on February 16, 2026. The Environment Agency expects to provide an update by 4:00 PM on February 17, 2026, or sooner if the situation changes.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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