Flood Warning Issued for Wylye Valley at Warminster Due to High Groundwater Levels

Alert Details

The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Warning (Severity Level 2) for the Wylye Valley at Warminster. The alert was officially raised on February 25, 2026, at 1:27 PM due to high groundwater levels in the Salisbury Plain area.

Affected Areas

The primary geographic region affected is the Wylye Valley at Warminster, located in the county of Wiltshire within the Wessex area.

What You Should Do

Residents in the warning area are advised to take immediate action:

• Prepare property resilience measures and ensure that any installed pumps are fully operational.
• Be aware that properties may experience flooding in cellars.
• Prepare for the potential inundation of septic tanks and sewer systems.
• Exercise extreme caution when driving; roads are expected to flood and may have been damaged by floodwater. Drive slowly to prevent flooding to nearby properties.
• Monitor local conditions as intense rainfall on saturated ground may lead to surface water flooding.

Expected Conditions

Groundwater levels in Salisbury Plain are currently plateauing but remain significantly high. The Tilshead borehole has recorded a level of 99.64m. While the area has seen a brief period of drier weather, new rainfall is forecast to begin on Thursday, February 26, 2026. This additional precipitation is expected to cause groundwater levels to rise again through the weekend.

Timeline

The alert is effective immediately. The Environment Agency is monitoring the situation closely and will provide an updated message by 2:00 PM on March 4, 2026.