Almost one in four properties in England are at risk of flooding, data from the Environment Agency shows.

It says 6.3m out of 25m properties are based in locations that may be overwhelmed by one, or a combination of, rivers, the sea and surface water.

The EA’s National Assessment of Flood Risk was last updated in 2018 and reports that today some 14.5% more homes face the threat of flooding.

Some 4.6m properties are in danger of flooding from surface water, caused by rainwater overwhelming drainage systems –  this is 43% up on previous assessments.

And around 2.4m properties are in areas that face flooding risk from rivers and/or the sea.

The agency says: “There are a variety of reasons for this change in risk, the most notable being improved data and modelling methods for assessing the likely frequency of flooding.”

Things are likely to get worse – by 2050 some 8m homes will be at risk from rivers and the sea or surface water.

Environment Agency director of flood risk strategy Julie Foley says: “We have spent the last few years transforming our understanding of flood and coastal erosion risk in England, drawing on the best available data from the Environment Agency and local authorities, as well as improved modelling and technological advances.

“Providing the nation with the best available information on flood and coastal erosion risk is vital to ensuring that policymakers, practitioners and communities are ready to adapt to flooding and coastal change.”