Flood Alert Issued for River Lavant in West Sussex Following Weeks of Rain
This alert is no longer in effect.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 Lavant in West Sussex, warning of minor impacts to roads and gardens as river levels remain high.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- West Sussex, 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 West Sussex, England.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert (Severity Level 3) for the River Lavant. This alert follows several weeks of persistent rainfall that has left river levels significantly elevated across the region.
Affected Areas
The alert specifically covers the River Lavant area within West Sussex, part of the Solent and South Downs region. Minor flood impacts are currently affecting fields, roads, and gardens in the vicinity of the river.
What You Should Do
Residents are advised not to put themselves or others at risk. Specifically, avoid using roads that are known to flood, such as Sheepwash Lane. Any observed blockages in the river should be reported to the Environment Agency at 0800 80 70 60. The agency is currently operating structures in Westhampnett as part of the Flood Alleviation Scheme to manage water levels.
Expected Conditions
A small amount of light rain (less than 5mm) is expected on Sunday morning, which is likely to cause only a minimal rise in river levels. Conditions are expected to clear by Sunday afternoon, with only isolated showers predicted from Monday through Friday.
Timeline
The alert was officially raised on February 22, 2026. While river levels are expected to begin a slow decline starting Tuesday, February 24, 2026, they are forecast to remain higher than normal for several weeks. Further periods of flood risk remain possible if additional rainfall occurs while levels are high. This message is scheduled for an update by 20:00 on February 23, 2026.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
Related Flood Warnings
All Flood Warnings →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this Environment Agency flood warning.