Rapid Flood Guidance service trial: user guide
Find out how to sign up, use and understand the new Rapid Flood Guidance service trial.
Applies to England and Wales
Overview
The Rapid Flood Guidance service:
- is provided by the Flood Forecasting Centre
- gives short notice updates for England and Wales to supplement the Flood Guidance Statement (FGS)
- is for responders who need to make decisions at a timescale of 0 to 6 hours
- meets a need from the responder community which was not being met with current FFC products
It will initially run as a trial service from 14 May 2024 to 30 September 2024.
Sign up now through your Flood Guidance Statement account.
Definition of rapid flooding
For the purposes of the Rapid Flood Guidance, rapid flooding is defined as any flooding:
- that starts within 6 hours of rain
- is caused by water getting trapped in urban low spots, overflowing drains, and flow from small streams and rivers
Rapid Flood Guidance service outline
The Rapid Flood Guidance:
- should be read in conjunction with the FGS
- does not replace the FGS
The Rapid Flood Guidance service provides a new:
- advisory badge on the front page of the FGS for days when there is a heightened risk of rapid flooding - this will be available to all FGS users
- Rapid Flood Guidance product that will be issued on heightened risk days - you will need to sign up to receive this
The Rapid Flood Guidance product:
- will be updated during the day when additional information on development of weather features that could result in rapid flooding become available
- provides information at a smaller scale than the FGS
The Rapid Flood Guidance product does not give:
- information about specific rivers or local features
- guidance on what actions to take
- information to the public
The Rapid Flood Guidance trial does not:
- alter any of the existing responsibilities for managing surface water flooding
- change the way the Environment Agency responds to surface water flooding incidents
Signing up for Rapid Flood Guidance product
You can sign up to receive the Rapid Flood Guidance product:
- by email and text from the FFC
- through the Met Office’s Hazard Manager
Personal information for all users is managed in line with the Met Office privacy policy.
Rapid Flood Guidance product by email and text
Signing up for the Rapid Flood Guidance by email allows you to:
- receive the Rapid Flood Guidance updates as a PDF into your inbox as soon as they are issued
- select which regions of England and Wales you are interested in
- opt into for the Rapid Flood Guidance text message service – this will send a notification and link to your mobile phone each time the guidance is updated
You will need to sign up to receive the Rapid Flood Guidance by email, even if you are already signed up for the FGS.
Sign up now through your Flood Guidance Statement account.
Rapid Flood Guidance on Hazard Manager
If you already have access to the FGS on Hazard Manager, you will be able to download the Rapid Flood Guidance as a PDF without further signup.
This is done from the RFG icon on the left-hand menu bar.
Hazard Manager does not provide email or text notifications.
Providing feedback
We welcome your views on the service at any time during the trial using the feedback link on the Rapid Flood Guidance product.
In addition, the FFC will be undertaking a programme of research on the trial including:
- user interviews after rapid flood events
- a survey and user interviews at the end of the trial - assessing satisfaction, comprehension, usefulness, usability, and value
By signing up to the trial we may invite you to provide feedback (on a voluntary basis) which will be used to:
- assess the value of the Rapid Flood Guidance
- make recommendations for the future of the service
Training and support for the Rapid Flood Guidance service
As well as this user guide, other support to help you understand the Rapid Flood Guidance service includes:
- drop in webinars – details will be sent to signed up users in advance of the launch date
- bespoke training for your organisation
For more information on how we can help your organisation contact FFCenquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.
To discuss the content of the Rapid Flood Guidance you should contact the FFC directly on 0330 135 4400.
Environment Agency local incident teams will not have any additional information relating to the Rapid Flood Guidance.
The FFC operates a 365 day, 24 hour service.
Amendments to the FGS as part of the Rapid Flood Guidance trial
During the Rapid Flood Guidance trial, the FGS will have:
- a new advisory badge on the front page for days when there is a heightened risk of rapid flooding
This will be shown under the thumbnail maps on the:
- FGS email
- FGS PDF
Figure 1 shows an example of an exercise FGS with the Rapid Flood Guidance badge added to the headline maps for days 1 and 2 (Monday and Tuesday).
Initially, the badge will not be available on the Hazard Manager version of the FGS.
Rapid Flood Guidance product features
Figure 2 shows the front page of an exercise Rapid Flood Guidance product including:
- header
- definition bar
- headline bar
- latest update, with map and text
- footer with useful links and page number
Header
At the top, shows the issue date and issue time.
Due to the nature of the product, it is not possible to show the next issue time.
When no further updates are expected for the day, this will be included under the issue time.
Definition Bar
Under the header, contains a definition of rapid flooding used by the service.
Headline Bar
Under the definition bar, the headline bar contains:
- the heading ‘National rapid flood summary’
- a summary (headline) statement describing all areas of rapid flood risk, rain, and, where relevant, how they are developing - there will be a new statement for each update
- a thumbnail map showing the national overview of locations where rapid flood guidance has been issued during the day - these locations will be identified by a numbered, purple polygon surrounded by a dashed line
Latest update feed
The latest rapid flood update will appear at the top of the feed in a bold box with the title ‘Latest update’.
The feed updates when new information is available.
Other current updates feed
When a new update is issued, previous updates move down the page and are listed under the bar ‘Other current updates.’
The page only contains updates that describe active events (areas of rain that continue to pose a flood risk).
Updates of expired events (areas of rain that have eased or stopped) are removed from the page.
Update heading
Each update has a heading which includes:
- polygon number
- the time and date the update was issued
When a polygon area changes (because rain has spread or moved) the polygon that it replaces will be identified in this heading.
Example
The first update would have the heading:
At 09:00hrs there is an area of heavy rain affecting the east of the Midlands (polygon 1).
Then at 10:00hrs when this area of rain has moved the next update would have the heading:
Polygon 1 - (replaces the 09:00hrs update). Updated at 10:00hrs 23 Feb 2024.
Update map
The update map shows:
- a shaded polygon showing where there is potential for rapid flooding now or in the update period
- arrows showing the direction of movement or spreading of the rainfall
Update text
The map is supplemented with text on the right-hand side which gives details about:
- how areas of rain have developed or changed since the previous update
- a description of what is happening now
- an estimation and likelihood of rainfall depth, and the flood risk this poses - FGS descriptions of either minor, significant or severe flooding are given
- details of any relevant UK weather warnings in force
- the type(s) of area(s) that could be affected
Useful links
At the bottom of the updates, you can find links to the:
- feedback form
- Rapid Flood Guidance service user guide
- Hazard Manager
- latest Flood Guidance Statement
- flood warnings in England
- flood warnings in Wales
Footer
At the bottom of each page there is:
- a brief product description
- contact details for the duty hydrometeorologist
Further Information
The Rapid Flood Guidance service gives short notice updates for England and Wales to supplement the FGS.
More information on the FGS, including a glossary can be found in the FGS user guide.