High-magnitude flooding across Britain since AD 1750

Macdonald, Neil; Sangster, Heather

doi:10.5194/hess-21-1631-2017

Articles | Volume 21, issue 3

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1631-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

Floods and their changes in historical times – a European...

https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1631-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 3

Research article

|

20 Mar 2017

Research article |

| 20 Mar 2017

High-magnitude flooding across Britain since AD 1750

Neil Macdonald and Heather Sangster

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Total article views: 11,277 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	BibTeX	EndNote
4,379	6,567	331	11,277	233	294

HTML: 4,379
PDF: 6,567
XML: 331
Total: 11,277
BibTeX: 233
EndNote: 294

Views and downloads (calculated since 08 Sep 2014)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Sep 2014	226	119	12	357
Oct 2014	35	24	4	63
Nov 2014	20	21	6	47
Dec 2014	14	26	1	41
Jan 2015	7	13	1	21
Feb 2015	17	8	3	28
Mar 2015	10	4	0	14
Apr 2015	15	7	1	23
May 2015	3	6	0	9
Jun 2015	10	3	0	13
Jul 2015	9	12	4	25
Aug 2015	2	3	0	5
Sep 2015	5	4	0	9
Oct 2015	8	3	2	13
Nov 2015	5	5	0	10
Dec 2015	4	7	0	11
Jan 2016	10	4	0	14
Feb 2016	12	14	3	29
Mar 2016	18	10	0	28
Apr 2016	7	9	0	16
May 2016	10	4	0	14
Jun 2016	12	4	0	16
Jul 2016	12	3	2	17
Aug 2016	15	5	1	21
Sep 2016	9	2	0	11
Oct 2016	14	3	8	25
Nov 2016	8	9	17
Dec 2016	3	2	0	5
Jan 2017	10	0	10
Feb 2017	11	2	0	13
Mar 2017	615	86	14	715
Apr 2017	315	39	15	369
May 2017	79	21	18	118
Jun 2017	112	341	16	469
Jul 2017	47	54	3	104
Aug 2017	42	22	0	64
Sep 2017	28	20	1	49
Oct 2017	17	20	1	38
Nov 2017	22	13	1	36
Dec 2017	26	22	0	48
Jan 2018	18	18	1	37
Feb 2018	33	23	2	58
Mar 2018	29	21	1	51
Apr 2018	14	27	0	41
May 2018	18	20	2	40
Jun 2018	10	15	0	25
Jul 2018	20	29	1	50
Aug 2018	22	30	1	53
Sep 2018	19	35	4	58
Oct 2018	16	35	1	52
Nov 2018	15	39	1	55
Dec 2018	21	35	6	62
Jan 2019	19	22	7	48
Feb 2019	14	26	1	41
Mar 2019	23	18	0	41
Apr 2019	17	19	0	36
May 2019	18	24	0	42
Jun 2019	10	22	0	32
Jul 2019	20	21	1	42
Aug 2019	11	9	0	20
Sep 2019	28	13	1	42
Oct 2019	19	24	1	44
Nov 2019	27	33	1	61
Dec 2019	17	16	1	34
Jan 2020	25	18	4	47
Feb 2020	21	114	0	135
Mar 2020	22	37	1	60
Apr 2020	21	18	1	40
May 2020	10	19	1	30
Jun 2020	20	11	0	31
Jul 2020	49	34	11	94
Aug 2020	18	18	9	45
Sep 2020	22	11	0	33
Oct 2020	19	27	1	47
Nov 2020	27	24	1	52
Dec 2020	24	33	1	58
Jan 2021	42	36	0	78
Feb 2021	23	27	0	50
Mar 2021	16	42	1	59
Apr 2021	23	37	0	60
May 2021	20	21	0	41
Jun 2021	58	47	3	108
Jul 2021	23	67	1	91
Aug 2021	12	32	1	45
Sep 2021	24	48	0	72
Oct 2021	38	77	2	117
Nov 2021	19	73	1	93
Dec 2021	21	42	2	65
Jan 2022	23	49	2	74
Feb 2022	21	44	3	68
Mar 2022	16	31	5	52
Apr 2022	16	87	2	105
May 2022	20	75	3	98
Jun 2022	14	70	1	85
Jul 2022	9	79	0	88
Aug 2022	18	72	1	91
Sep 2022	14	59	1	74
Oct 2022	12	69	1	82
Nov 2022	20	84	0	104
Dec 2022	19	62	2	83
Jan 2023	46	99	3	148
Feb 2023	29	93	0	122
Mar 2023	32	105	1	138
Apr 2023	30	68	1	99
May 2023	21	70	0	91
Jun 2023	11	61	2	74
Jul 2023	28	62	6	96
Aug 2023	13	60	4	77
Sep 2023	8	59	1	68
Oct 2023	44	95	3	142
Nov 2023	13	46	0	59
Dec 2023	35	74	4	113
Jan 2024	44	121	3	168
Feb 2024	26	87	2	115
Mar 2024	14	79	4	97
Apr 2024	33	88	11	132
May 2024	37	96	3	136
Jun 2024	28	73	2	103
Jul 2024	30	90	3	123
Aug 2024	23	65	2	90
Sep 2024	22	82	2	106
Oct 2024	27	86	1	114
Nov 2024	24	74	3	101
Dec 2024	32	149	3	184
Jan 2025	32	142	0	174
Feb 2025	41	73	0	114
Mar 2025	31	30	5	66
Apr 2025	18	29	1	48
May 2025	40	25	0	65
Jun 2025	58	78	0	136
Jul 2025	37	117	5	159
Aug 2025	45	80	4	129
Sep 2025	33	34	1	68
Oct 2025	28	97	2	127
Nov 2025	48	167	4	219
Dec 2025	41	107	6	154
Jan 2026	64	156	11	231
Feb 2026	57	99	1	157
Mar 2026	44	94	4	142
Apr 2026	11	24	2	37

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 08 Sep 2014)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
Sep 2014	226	119	12	357
Oct 2014	35	24	4	63
Nov 2014	20	21	6	47
Dec 2014	14	26	1	41
Jan 2015	7	13	1	21
Feb 2015	17	8	3	28
Mar 2015	10	4	0	14
Apr 2015	15	7	1	23
May 2015	3	6	0	9
Jun 2015	10	3	0	13
Jul 2015	9	12	4	25
Aug 2015	2	3	0	5
Sep 2015	5	4	0	9
Oct 2015	8	3	2	13
Nov 2015	5	5	0	10
Dec 2015	4	7	0	11
Jan 2016	10	4	0	14
Feb 2016	12	14	3	29
Mar 2016	18	10	0	28
Apr 2016	7	9	0	16
May 2016	10	4	0	14
Jun 2016	12	4	0	16
Jul 2016	12	3	2	17
Aug 2016	15	5	1	21
Sep 2016	9	2	0	11
Oct 2016	14	3	8	25
Nov 2016	8	9	17
Dec 2016	3	2	0	5
Jan 2017	10	0	10
Feb 2017	11	2	0	13
Mar 2017	615	86	14	715
Apr 2017	315	39	15	369
May 2017	79	21	18	118
Jun 2017	112	341	16	469
Jul 2017	47	54	3	104
Aug 2017	42	22	0	64
Sep 2017	28	20	1	49
Oct 2017	17	20	1	38
Nov 2017	22	13	1	36
Dec 2017	26	22	0	48
Jan 2018	18	18	1	37
Feb 2018	33	23	2	58
Mar 2018	29	21	1	51
Apr 2018	14	27	0	41
May 2018	18	20	2	40
Jun 2018	10	15	0	25
Jul 2018	20	29	1	50
Aug 2018	22	30	1	53
Sep 2018	19	35	4	58
Oct 2018	16	35	1	52
Nov 2018	15	39	1	55
Dec 2018	21	35	6	62
Jan 2019	19	22	7	48
Feb 2019	14	26	1	41
Mar 2019	23	18	0	41
Apr 2019	17	19	0	36
May 2019	18	24	0	42
Jun 2019	10	22	0	32
Jul 2019	20	21	1	42
Aug 2019	11	9	0	20
Sep 2019	28	13	1	42
Oct 2019	19	24	1	44
Nov 2019	27	33	1	61
Dec 2019	17	16	1	34
Jan 2020	25	18	4	47
Feb 2020	21	114	0	135
Mar 2020	22	37	1	60
Apr 2020	21	18	1	40
May 2020	10	19	1	30
Jun 2020	20	11	0	31
Jul 2020	49	34	11	94
Aug 2020	18	18	9	45
Sep 2020	22	11	0	33
Oct 2020	19	27	1	47
Nov 2020	27	24	1	52
Dec 2020	24	33	1	58
Jan 2021	42	36	0	78
Feb 2021	23	27	0	50
Mar 2021	16	42	1	59
Apr 2021	23	37	0	60
May 2021	20	21	0	41
Jun 2021	58	47	3	108
Jul 2021	23	67	1	91
Aug 2021	12	32	1	45
Sep 2021	24	48	0	72
Oct 2021	38	77	2	117
Nov 2021	19	73	1	93
Dec 2021	21	42	2	65
Jan 2022	23	49	2	74
Feb 2022	21	44	3	68
Mar 2022	16	31	5	52
Apr 2022	16	87	2	105
May 2022	20	75	3	98
Jun 2022	14	70	1	85
Jul 2022	9	79	0	88
Aug 2022	18	72	1	91
Sep 2022	14	59	1	74
Oct 2022	12	69	1	82
Nov 2022	20	84	0	104
Dec 2022	19	62	2	83
Jan 2023	46	99	3	148
Feb 2023	29	93	0	122
Mar 2023	32	105	1	138
Apr 2023	30	68	1	99
May 2023	21	70	0	91
Jun 2023	11	61	2	74
Jul 2023	28	62	6	96
Aug 2023	13	60	4	77
Sep 2023	8	59	1	68
Oct 2023	44	95	3	142
Nov 2023	13	46	0	59
Dec 2023	35	74	4	113
Jan 2024	44	121	3	168
Feb 2024	26	87	2	115
Mar 2024	14	79	4	97
Apr 2024	33	88	11	132
May 2024	37	96	3	136
Jun 2024	28	73	2	103
Jul 2024	30	90	3	123
Aug 2024	23	65	2	90
Sep 2024	22	82	2	106
Oct 2024	27	86	1	114
Nov 2024	24	74	3	101
Dec 2024	32	149	3	184
Jan 2025	32	142	0	174
Feb 2025	41	73	0	114
Mar 2025	31	30	5	66
Apr 2025	18	29	1	48
May 2025	40	25	0	65
Jun 2025	58	78	0	136
Jul 2025	37	117	5	159
Aug 2025	45	80	4	129
Sep 2025	33	34	1	68
Oct 2025	28	97	2	127
Nov 2025	48	167	4	219
Dec 2025	41	107	6	154
Jan 2026	64	156	11	231
Feb 2026	57	99	1	157
Mar 2026	44	94	4	142
Apr 2026	11	24	2	37

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 24 Apr 2026

Short summary

We use historical records to extend current understanding of flood risk, examining past spatial and temporal variability and ask are the perceived high-magnitude flood events witnessed in recent years really unprecedented? We identify that there are statistically significant relationships between the British flood index and climatic drivers, whereby the largest floods often transcend single catchments affecting regions and that the current flood-rich period is not unprecedented.