The Environment Agency has issued a Flood Alert for Macclesfield, Cheshire, on 6 February 2026 after sustained heavy rain caused river levels to rise across the town. The alert, issued on the morning of 6 February, warns that flooding of low-lying land, towpaths and vulnerable roads is possible and that residents should be prepared.
The alert covers the River Bollin catchment. River levels at the Old Mill Lane gauging station are rising rapidly after roughly 30–40mm of rain fell over the previous 18 hours. The Environment Agency and local partners have identified Riverside Park and Mill Lane among key high-risk local sites; vulnerable routes include the A523 Silk Road.
Cheshire East Council’s highways and flood-risk teams are monitoring known hotspots and checking drains and other drainage assets to reduce surface-water impacts. Authorities are advising people to keep away from the riverbanks and to avoid walking through standing water or using impassable paths near riverside areas.
A 2021 Macclesfield Nub News report highlighted Macclesfield as a local flood-risk area because of an aging, often unmapped network of culverted watercourses in the town centre. Today’s event will also test recently installed natural flood-defence measures upstream (the 2024–2025 leaky-dam project) intended to slow runoff into the town.
What to do: if you live or travel near the River Bollin, be prepared for possible flooding to low-lying land and roads, follow local authority advice, and sign up for EA flood alerts. Note: a ‘Flood Alert’ means flooding is possible and to be prepared; it is not the higher-level ‘Flood Warning’ which indicates flooding is expected.
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