The Flood Forecasting Centre (FFC) has confirmed its intention to run the Rapid Flood Guidance (RFG) service for the next 3 years (2026, 2027 and 2028).
The confirmation follows a new allocation of funding from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The investment follows a transition into an operational service in 2025 and a successful trial in 2024.
Provisionally, the RFG service 2026 will start on 6 May and run until mid-October.
The RFG service gives short notice updates for England and Wales to supplement the Flood Guidance Statement. It provides:
- an advisory badge on the front page of the Flood Guidance Statement (FGS) for days when there is a heightened risk of rapid flooding
- RFG updates - issued on heightened risk days
FFC Head of Centre Russell Turner said:
“I’m delighted that the Rapid Flood Guidance service will continue for the next three years. Following the successful trial in 2024 and transition into operational service in 2025, this ensures we can keep offering trusted guidance on days of heightened flood risk. The continued funding will help the responder community make decisions to keep communities safe – by providing them timely, tailored information when it matters most.”
An evolving service
During the 2025 service, which ran from 2 June to 17 October:
- 2,450 responders signed up to the service (increasing from 1,700 in 2024)
- the RFG badge appeared on the Flood Guidance Statement (FGS) on 17 days
- RFG updates were issued on 10 days
- a total of 19 RFG updates were issued - and downloaded over 6,200 times
In 2025, the service included improvements based on user feedback from the 2024 trial. These included:
- the ability to sign up to receive RFG for local authority areas (rather than regions) – providing a more tailored service
- amendments to the threshold for RFG issue – meaning that fewer RFGs were issued when there were no or only minor impacts
- a redesigned production system meaning RFGs could be issued more quickly
The FGS is designed to support tactical and operational planning for the UK and Welsh governments, Category 1 and 2 responders, and other organisations involved in emergency and flood response.
Preparing for the 2026 service
Organisations and individuals signed up for the 2025 service:
- will remain registered for the 2026 service
- will receive updates on the details on the 2026 service when these are available
- can continue to check and revise their preferences at any time
- Check and amend preferences through their Flood Guidance Statement account.
New users who want to receive the RFG in the future can sign up now to:
- receive the RFG by Email and text message (optional)
- set preferences to receive RFGs that are relevant
The RFG service was developed as part of the Surface Water Flood Forecasting Improvement Project (SWFFIP) which is a Defra and Environment Agency SR21 funded initiative, completing in March 2026.
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