Flood Action Week: How Ready Is Cheltenham for Flooding?

The government's new Flood Action Online service, and how to check Cheltenham's flood risk, river levels and warnings, from the 2007 floods to today.

By Mat Benfield · Published 2026-10-14

This week is Flood Action Week, the Environment Agency’s campaign held for one week every October to help people get ready for flooding before winter. This year’s began on 12 October, and to mark it the government has launched Flood Action Online, a single GOV.UK page for getting ready for a flood. It brings together how to check whether a home is at risk, how to get flood warnings, Met Office weather alerts and ways to protect a property. Alongside it, the government says it is spending £4.2 billion on flood defences in England between April 2026 and March 2029, aiming to better protect 200,000 properties.

Here is what Cheltenham Open Data can tell you about flooding in Cheltenham, and where to go next.

Cheltenham’s Worst Modern Floods

Cheltenham’s worst modern flooding came in the summer of 2007, after the wettest May to July in England and Wales since records began in 1766. Around 600 properties flooded in the town in July, about 230 of them when the River Chelt flood defences were overwhelmed. Our page on the summer 2007 floods tells the full story, with the council reports it draws on.

Records That Still Stand

The Environment Agency has 10 river level gauges in and around Cheltenham, on the River Chelt, Hatherley Brook, Lilley Brook and Wymans Brook. As of October 2026, 9 of them have a highest level on record, and 6 of those records date from June or July 2007:

  • River Chelt: the highest levels at Arle, Charlton Kings, Cox’s Flume and the Cox’s Meadow storage area were all set on 20 July 2007.
  • Hatherley Brook: the record at Merestones Road was set on 25 June 2007.
  • More recent records: Lilley Brook at Moorend Road in June 2016, the River Chelt at College Road and Wymans Brook at Prestbury Road in 2020, and Wymans Brook at Windyridge Road in September 2024.

The flood warnings page shows each gauge’s latest reading, whether it is within its normal range, and its record.

Check Your Flood Risk

The Cheltenham flood zones map shows the land in Flood Zone 2 and Flood Zone 3, from the Environment Agency’s Flood Map for Planning, and explains what each zone means. For a single address, the Environment Agency’s long term flood risk service gives the risk from rivers, surface water and other sources.

Get Flood Warnings

  • Sign up for free warnings: the Environment Agency sends flood warnings by phone call, text or email. Sign up on GOV.UK, or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188, which is open 24 hours.
  • Live warnings on this site: the flood warnings page shows any warnings in force for the area alongside river levels and rainfall, and the flood warnings history keeps a log of past warnings for Gloucestershire.
  • Feed: follow the flood warnings feed in a feed reader to see new warnings as they are issued.

FAQs

What Is Flood Action Week?

  • A week-long campaign the Environment Agency runs every October, encouraging people to check their flood risk and get ready before winter. This year’s began on 12 October. Flood Action Online and the flood warnings service are available all year round.

Is Cheltenham Open Data a Flood Warning Service?

  • No. The site shows the warnings the Environment Agency has issued, but for alerts you can rely on, sign up for the Environment Agency’s free warnings or call Floodline.

Where Does the Data Come From?

  • River levels, rainfall and flood warnings come from the Environment Agency’s flood monitoring API, and the flood zones from its Flood Map for Planning, both under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The 2007 figures come from Cheltenham Borough Council’s and Gloucestershire County Council’s flood reports.