Northenden water level
River gauge, River Mersey, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
At 0.28 m, the River Mersey at Northenden is far below normal for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 0.37 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.09 m below typical. A year ago it stood at 0.28 m as well. The lowest reading on record is 0.15 m (September 5, 2005).
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.24 m and 0.78 m.
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
- 0.37 m0.09 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.29 m – 0.57 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.27 m – 1.80 m
- Same day last year
- 0.28 m0.00 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.24 m – 0.78 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.23 m – 1.40 m
- Highest on record
- 3.76 mJanuary 1, 2025
- Lowest on record
- 0.15 mSeptember 5, 2005
On the river at Northenden
Low, clear water makes fish wary, and anglers often do better early and late in the day. For canoeists, shallow riffles mean scraped hulls and the odd portage.
Flood warnings for the area come from the Environment Agency.
About the River Mersey
The River Mersey is a major river in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the River Mersey
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Didsbury RiverRiver gauge, River Mersey | 2.68 m | Very low | −0.02 m | 1.4 km |
| BrinkswayRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.53 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 5.2 km |
| Ashton WeirRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.38 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 6.9 km |
| Flixton BridgeRiver gauge, River Mersey | 0.32 m | Low | −0.04 m | 9.7 km |
| WestyRiver gauge, River Mersey | 3.62 m | Very low | +0.12 m | 20 km |
| Fiddlers FerryRiver gauge, River Mersey | 2.18 m | Very low | +0.07 m | 27 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern MoorRiver gauge, Baguley Brook | 0.20 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 2.8 km |
| StanneylandsRiver gauge, Dean | 0.14 m | Low | −0.01 m | 7.4 km |
| London RoadRiver gauge, River Medlock | 0.07 m | Low | ±0 | 7.4 km |
| PortwoodRiver gauge, River Tame | 0.11 m | Low | ±0 | 7.6 km |
| Gurney StreetRiver gauge, River Medlock | 0.26 m | Normal | +0.05 m | 8.5 km |
| Adelphi WeirRiver gauge, River Irwell | 0.23 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 8.6 km |
| WilmslowRiver gauge, River Bollin | 0.17 m | Low | +0.02 m | 8.9 km |
Questions and answers
Is the River Mersey at Northenden higher than last year?
It is about the same as on this day last year, when the reading was 0.28 m.
What is a normal level for the River Mersey at Northenden in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.37 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.29 m and 0.57 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 0.28 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Northenden today?
On 19 Oct 2026, 09:30 BST, the water level was 0.28 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Northenden rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Northenden normal?
Very 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 Northenden?
The highest level on record is 3.76 m on January 1, 2025. The lowest is 0.15 m on September 5, 2005.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:692710(Agency page)- Coordinates
53.40878, -2.25267(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 | 0.28 m | 2026-10-19 08:30 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Northenden (ea:692710). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/greater-manchester/northenden
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