A FLOOD warning has been issued for the River Roding this weekend, following the torrential rain which hit the borough in recent days.

The Environment Agency has placed the river and its catchment area on red alert, which covers parts of Woodford Green and the surrounding area, as well as areas of Loughton, Epping and Chipping Ongar.

The agency said flooding is most likely due to forecast rain on Sunday, which would all onto already saturated ground, and the warning will be in effect until at least Monday.

Peter Quarmby, Thames Region Flood Risk Manager, said: “We’ve had quite a bit of rain during this week and, as a result, the ground is now saturated and river levels have risen. Our staff are out in force working tirelessly to reduce any possible risk of flooding across the region.

“Now is an ideal time for anyone living in an area vulnerable to flooding to think about the steps they can take to protect their properties. By taking simple precautions we can limit the damage a flood can leave behind.

“We are receiving regular weather updates from the Met Office, continuously monitoring river levels and have had officers out throughout the week checking river levels and clearing blockages to prepare for the rainfall.

“Thankfully we’ve not yet had any reports of properties flooded but with flood watches and possible warnings being issued we could see some instances of flooding.”

Earlier this month the Guardian reported that the agency has begun de-silting Winn Brook in Woodford Green in an effort to avoid a repeat of the devastating flooding in 2000, when the Roding – of which the brook is a tributary – burst its banks and flooded around 1,000 homes.

For more information, call the agency's Floodline on 0845 988 1188, select option 1 and enter quick-dial number 0112112 to get more information.