Flood Alert Issued for River Cherwell Across Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire
This alert is no longer in effect.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 River Cherwell and surrounding brooks, warning of potential flooding on low-lying land and roads starting Monday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire
- 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 Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the River Cherwell catchment area. The alert was officially raised at 5:03 PM on February 16, 2026, in response to rising river levels following recent rainfall.
Affected Areas
The alert covers the River Cherwell from Charwelton to just above Upper Heyford. The geographic scope includes parts of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire. Specific waterways identified in the alert include:
- River Cherwell and River Swere
- Highfurlong, Ashby, and Culworth Brooks
- Hanwell, Chacombe, and Marston Brooks
- Thenford, Farthinghoe, Charlton, and Deddington Brooks
Flooding of low-lying land and roads is specifically expected in the Banbury area.
What You Should Do
Residents and travelers in the affected areas are advised to take the following precautions:
- Avoid walking, cycling, or driving through flood water.
- Monitor local weather conditions and river levels.
- Visit the River Levels Online service for the most current updates.
Expected Conditions
River levels are expected to continue rising slowly throughout the evening of February 16. While further rain showers are possible overnight, the forecast for tomorrow, February 17, is predominantly dry. However, officials warn that river levels will remain high and sensitive to any additional rainfall over the next several days.
Timeline
The alert is effective as of the evening of February 16, 2026. The Environment Agency expects to provide an update on the situation by 12:00 PM on February 17, 2026, or sooner if conditions change significantly.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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Common questions about this Environment Agency flood warning.