The Rapid Flood Guidance trial service
The Flood Forecasting Centre (FFC) Rapid Flood Guidance service trial for 2024 recently ended. The trial ran from 14 May to 30 September 2024.
The Rapid Flood Guidance service gave short notice updates for England and Wales to supplement the Flood Guidance Statement (FGS). It provided a new:
- advisory badge on the front page of the FGS for days when there was a heightened risk of rapid flooding
- Rapid Flood Guidance updates issued on heightened risk days
The service made use of new convective weather forecasting (nowcasting) capability from the Met Office's Expert Weather Hub combined with information from the FFC's hydrometeorologists.
During the trial:
- there were over 1,700 signups to the service
- the Rapid Flood Guidance badge appeared on the FGS on 52 days
- Rapid Flood Guidance updates were issued on 19 days
- a total of 52 Rapid Flood Guidance updates were issued - and downloaded over 16,000 times
FFC Head of Centre, Russell Turner said:
I'm really excited to see the responder community engaging with the Rapid Flood Guidance trial so positively. Completion of the 2024 trial is an important milestone in FFC's commitment to improving our services. We look forward to working with our partners and customers to develop the service further in future.
Positive initial results
Extensive user research informed the 2024 Rapid Flood Guidance service. This continued during the trial period through:
- online surveys resulting in over 300 responses
- 20 user interviews after rapid flood events
Early trial results are positive. Amongst respondents:
- 89% stated that the Rapid Flood Guidance improved their awareness of the flooding situation
- 64% stated that it improved their communication of the existing situation
- 48% stated that it helped improved operational decision making
Nearly 70% of respondents rated their experience with the trial as being positive. 15% said it was too early to say.
Further end of trial research
Further research after the end of the trial will investigate the satisfaction, understanding and usefulness of the Rapid Flood Guidance service.
This will be used to:
- assess the value of the service to the responder community and government
- inform recommendations for the future of the service for 2025 and beyond
Part of a wider investment in improved forecasting
The Rapid Flood Guidance trial service is part of the Surface Water Flood Forecasting Improvement Project (SWFFIP) which is:
- a 3-year Defra and Environment Agency SR21 funded initiative, completing in March 2025
- contributing to Defra's Surface water management action plan - July 2018
- implemented by the Met Office and Environment Agency through the FFC
