Flood Estimation Handbook Web Service
The FEH Web Service delivers catchment descriptors and rainfall data to support the methods outlined in the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH), and implemented in the FEH software, for estimating floods and site runoff rates.
What's new
For any catchment above 0.5km²:
- Catchment descriptors for flood estimation
- Rainfall rarity/depth data (using both the FEH 2013 and legacy FEH 1999 DDF models)
- Learn more
For any point on the map:
- Point descriptors for plot scale runoff rate estimation
- Rainfall rarity/depth data (using FEH 2013 DDF model)
- Learn more
What is the FEH Web Service?
The FEH Web Service provides the data and rainfall model outputs that are required to apply the UK flood frequency and rainfall estimation procedures. These procedures are defined by the Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH) and subsequent updates, and implemented in the FEH Software.
It provides catchment level descriptors and rainfall depth-duration-frequency (DDF) estimates to enable flood risk to be estimated for over four million catchments across the UK. It also provides the descriptors and rainfall DDF estimates for any location to support the derivation of runoff rates and volumes to support drainage design using the FEH rainfall runoff methods (ReFH 2).
For purchased catchments, you can view and export:
- catchment descriptors (XML, csv and cd3).
- depth-duration-frequency (DDF) using the latest FEH 2013 methods as well as the legacy 1999 method calculations, both on a catchment average basis and at the nearest 1 kilometre grid location. The DDF information is plotted on interactive rainfall graphs, which can be exported as a csv or an image.
- catchment boundaries as ESRI shapefiles or PNG images.
- Learn more
For any purchased point on the map (with 1m resolution), you can view and export:
- XML point soil and climate descriptors.
- depth-duration-frequency (DDF) using the current FEH 2013 model. The DDF information is plotted on interactive rainfall graphs, which can be exported as a csv or an image.
- Note the legacy FEH99 rainfall depth/rarity values and DDF parameters (C, D1..3, E & F) are not available for points.
- Learn more
Explore the hydrologically relevant mapping interface to identify the catchment boundaries (over 0.5 km2), and review the variation in annual rainfall (SAAR41-70), hydrogeology and level of urbanisation.
To help in the application of the FEH methods, the interface displays all NRFA gauging stations, including Peak Flows classification and links to the station NRFA page.
The FEH Web Service supersedes the FEH CD-ROM.
Sign up to use the FEH Web Service
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Individual users – please click here to sign up now →
As an individual user, you can buy and spend credits as you wish and you are not linked to other user accounts.
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Organisational users – if your organisation already has an organisational account, please contact your lead user to be invited. Alternatively, you can sign up as an individual user first and then contact us to convert the account to an organisational one.
As an organisational account user you will have access to all catchment and point data purchased by all users within your organisational account. Lead user(s) will be nominated by the organisation and will be responsible for purchasing credits for the organisation and allocating them to the organisational users. To become an organisational user, either your organisation will already have an organisational account set up or a lead user will need to be nominated to arrange for set up. Please visit our FAQs page for further information on this.
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Educational Users – please contact us if you are an educational user.
A discounted rate is available for educational use. The cost is £150 (excluding VAT) for 1,000 credits (£1.50 per catchment retrieval). The credits must all be released to the same Web Service account. If you qualify for this offer we will issue you with a licence certificate along with an invoice for payment. The signed licence certificate and payment must be received before the credits are allocated.
What is the FEH?
The Flood Estimation Handbook (FEH), with its subsequent updates and FEH Software, provides the industry-standard methods for assessing flood risk in the UK. It offers guidance on the estimation of rainfall and river flood frequency and development site runoff rates across the UK. These are required for:
- Flood risk assessment
- SuDS and traditional drainage system design
- Flood defence planning
- Design of structures such as bridges, culverts and reservoir spillways
- To form the basis of flood risk maps
- Rarity assessment of notable rainfalls or floods
The procedures are clearly explained, and supporting theory and results included.