Canada
United States
Belgium
France
Ireland
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Austria
Czechia
Germany
Poland
Slovenia
Switzerland
Italy
Spain
Türkiye
Denmark
Finland
Norway
SwedenCowes water level
Tidal gauge, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
Right now
Latest reading
Surface elevation
History
What this means
The latest water level reported for Cowes is −0.17 m. There is no published reference for this tidal gauge yet, so we can't say whether that is high or low for the season.
The level is falling, down 0.03 m over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between −1.79 m and 1.93 m.
Over the past seven days the change adds up to −1.84 m.
The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- −1.79 m – 1.93 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.11 m – 0.40 m
- Highest on record
- 2.73 mFebruary 14, 2014
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 6.3 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GurnardRiver gauge, Gurnard Luck | 0.11 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 2.7 km |
| NewportTidal gauge | 1.85 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 6.8 km |
| Hunny HillRiver gauge, Lukely Brook | 2.99 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 6.9 km |
| Carisbrook MillRiver gauge, Lukely Brook | 0.11 m | Normal | +0.04 m | 7.6 km |
| Brownwich PondRiver gauge, Brownwich Stream | 1.09 m | Very high | +0.04 m | 7.8 km |
| BrowndownRiver gauge, River Alver | 0.36 m | Normal | +0.17 m | 9.4 km |
| HambleTidal gauge | −0.21 m | Normal | −0.03 m | 9.5 km |
| Monkton Mead PSRiver gauge | 0.45 m | Very low | +0.11 m | 11 km |
Questions and answers
Is Cowes really −0.17 m deep?
No. −0.17 m is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.
What is the water level of Cowes today?
On 20 Oct 2026, 12:45 BST, the surface elevation was −0.17 m. Down 0.03 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Cowes rising or falling?
Down 0.03 m over the last 24 hours. Down 1.84 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Cowes normal?
The agency publishes no normal range for this gauge yet, so we show the trend only.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cowes?
The highest level on record is 2.73 m on February 14, 2014.
How often is this data updated?
The Environment Agency publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.
Where does this data come from?
The values come directly from the Environment Agency, the official operator of this gauge, and are published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We do not estimate or model live values.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:E15040(Agency page)- Coordinates
50.76327, -1.29667(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- ODN
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface elevation | −0.17 m | 2026-10-20 11:45 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.
How to cite
Environment Agency: Cowes (ea:E15040). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/isle-of-wight/cowes
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