Leeds sits in England under Britain’s temperate maritime climate, where rain falls fairly evenly throughout the year but the most damaging flooding usually comes from slow-moving Atlantic storm systems that stall over the country in autumn and winter.
Sitting on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, the city invested heavily in flood defenses after the severe Boxing Day floods of 2015. Named storms such as Storm Desmond in 2015 and Storm Dennis in 2020 have shown how days of persistent rain can push rivers to record levels well after the rain itself has passed, which is why the UK’s Environment Agency and Met Office lean heavily on radar alongside river gauges. The Met Office operates the national weather radar network. Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map