Oakley Cross Beck water level
River gauge, Durham, United Kingdom
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Oakley Cross Beck is running below normal at 0.20 m.
That puts it 0.03 m below the median of 0.23 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.21 m (−0.01 m).
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.23 m0.03 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.19 m – 0.36 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.19 m – 0.80 m
- Same day last year
- 0.21 m−0.01 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.20 m – 0.20 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.15 m – 0.67 m
- Highest on record
- 1.02 mApril 26, 2012
- Lowest on record
- 0.09 mApril 24, 2011
Fishing and paddling
At low levels, many rivers become a walk-and-paddle trip. Fish hold in deeper pools and spook easily.
Flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency.
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West AucklandRiver gauge, River Gaunless | 0.13 m | Normal | ±0 | 0.8 km |
| Spring Gardens DamRiver gauge, River Gaunless | 0.10 m | Lowest on record | ±0 | 1.3 km |
| Ramshaw MillRiver gauge, River Gaunless | 0.07 m | Very low | ±0 | 2.0 km |
| Dovecote HillRiver gauge, River Gaunless | 0.46 m | Very low | ±0 | 4.0 km |
| LowlandsRiver gauge, River Gaunless | 0.08 m | Normal | ±0 | 4.4 km |
| South ChurchRiver gauge, River Gaunless | 0.05 m | Lowest on record | ±0 | 4.7 km |
| Witton ParkRiver gauge, River Wear | 0.31 m | Very low | ±0 | 5.0 km |
| BedburnRiver gauge, Bedburn Beck | 0.10 m | Very low | ±0 | 8.7 km |
Questions and answers
How does Oakley Cross Beck compare with last year?
It is 0.01 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.21 m.
What is a normal level for Oakley Cross Beck in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.23 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.19 m and 0.36 m, based on 21 years of records.
Is the river level the same as the depth of the water?
No. The reading is measured from a fixed zero mark at the gauge, so 0.20 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Oakley Cross Beck today?
On 18 Oct 2026, 15:15 BST, the water level was 0.20 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Oakley Cross Beck rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Oakley Cross Beck normal?
Low for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Oakley Cross Beck?
The highest level on record is 1.02 m on April 26, 2012. The lowest is 0.09 m on April 24, 2011.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:024023(Agency page)- Coordinates
54.62791, -1.72580(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Environment Agency data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 0.20 m | 2026-10-18 14:15 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Oakley Cross Beck (ea:024023). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/durham/oakley-cross-beck
How we check values
Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer