Catchment Name and Location:The Ouseburn catchment is located in north-east England and runs through the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. The catchment has an area of 55 km2 and its outlet is situtated at Crag Hall gauging station (reference number 23016). The catchment is low-gradient with moderately permeable soil and is heavily urbanised. Whilst the Ouseburn is predominantly open channel, there are some culverted sections and many of its tributaries are culverted, becoming ‘hidden rivers’ in the city’s drainage system.
One of the biggest flood events to occur in Newcastle, happened in June 2012 – and is now known as ‘Thunder Thursday’ or the ‘Toon Monsoon’! This caused extensive flooding across Newcastle, flooding homes and businesses and causing power failures and traffic chaos. Even the hidden tributaries were found to pose a flood risk; with high water levels in the downstream rivers, the tributaries were unable to drain freely and backed-up, resulting in pressurised water in the Lort Burn blowing a manhole cover off in Dean Street in the heart of the city.
"Thunder Thursday" Newcastle event (June 2012) (source: photograph by Mark Summers, Simmon Dewhurst and Chronicle LIVE)
