Where no records are available at a site, a preliminary estimate may be made from relations between floods and catchment characteristics. A number of these characteristics were chosen for testing and were measured for those catchments where mean annual flood estimates were available. Although the improvement using extended data in regression of flood estimates on catchment characteristics was small, this may be due to the limitations of the regression model. When an individual short term record is to be extended, more detailed attention can be given; an example is presented of the technique which should be adopted in practice, particularly when a short term record covers a period which is known to be biassed. A method of extending the peaks over a threshold series is presented with a numerical example. The extension of records directly from rainfall by means of a conceptual model is discussed, although the application of such methods is likely to be limited by lack of recording raingauge information. Methods of combining information from various sources are discussed in terms of information from catchment characteristics supplemented by records. but are generally applicable to different sources of information. The application of this technique to estimating the probable maximum flood requires more conservative assumptions about the antecedent condition, storm profile and unit hydrograph. It is suggested that the profile and catchment wetness index at the start of the design duration should be based on the assumption that the estimated maximum rainfall occurs in all durations centered on the storm peak.