On 30 January 2026 the Met Office issued Yellow weather warnings for heavy rain and high winds affecting parts of the Midlands, and the Environment Agency issued flood alerts for stretches of the River Cherwell that include the Banbury corridor. Forecasters say the system will bring around 20–30 mm of rain over roughly 12 hours and inland wind gusts of up to about 50 mph, creating a risk of rising river levels and travel disruption as the storm moves across the Midlands.
The Environment Agency’s flood alerts cover the River Cherwell from Charwelton to just above Upper Heyford (which includes Banbury) and separate sections from Lower Heyford down to Oxford. Agency and Met Office briefings note the Cherwell catchment is already saturated after several weeks of rain, increasing the chance that further rainfall will run straight off into rivers and drains.
Forecasters warn that strong winds may blow leaves and debris into drains, increasing the risk of sudden surface-water flooding in the town centre and the Grimsbury area. Drivers using the A361 (Northway/Daventry Road) towards Daventry are being advised to take care; authorities say the highest risk window is expected to be this evening between about 6:00pm and 4:00am on 31 January (GMT).
The Banbury Flood Alleviation Scheme — the upstream storage and control system built to reduce the risk to the town — is operating and helping to manage flows, but localised surface-water flooding remains possible. Residents are advised to clear private guttering and drains where it is safe to do so and to avoid driving through floodwater. For live updates, check the Environment Agency ‘Check for Flooding’ pages and local river gauges such as River Levels UK for the River Cherwell at Banbury.
