Freshwater water level
River gauge, Western Yar, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom
Right now
Very high for mid-October
Surface elevation
History
20252026
What this means
The gauge at Freshwater shows 0.92 m, well above normal for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 0.80 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.12 m above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.84 m, a difference of +0.08 m.
The water is rising: up 0.09 m over the past 24 hours. If the rise continues, low-lying paths and riverside parking can go under water. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.82 m and 1.01 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
- 0.80 m0.12 m above the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.78 m – 0.86 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 0.84 m+0.08 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.82 m – 1.01 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.82 m – 1.23 m
High water at Freshwater
Official flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency. They cover areas, not single gauges, so a warning can be in force before this reading looks dramatic.
Keep children and dogs well back from the edge, and stay off flooded footpaths and towpaths.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 5.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milford BridgeRiver gauge, Danes Stream | 0.97 m | Normal | +0.10 m | 7.1 km |
| New Valley RoadRiver gauge, Danes Stream | 0.06 m | Normal | +0.07 m | 7.6 km |
| Lymington River levelRiver gauge, Lymington | −0.01 m | Normal | +0.20 m | 9.0 km |
| Milford Gate RlRiver gauge | 6.94 m | Normal | +0.09 m | 9.3 km |
| Chewton GlenRiver gauge, Walkford Brook | 0.13 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 14 km |
| BrockenhurstRiver gauge, Lymington | 0.25 m | Normal | +0.07 m | 15 km |
| Carisbrook MillRiver gauge, Lukely Brook | 0.14 m | Very high | +0.08 m | 15 km |
| GurnardRiver gauge, Gurnard Luck | 0.17 m | Normal | +0.08 m | 15 km |
Questions and answers
Is the Western Yar at Freshwater higher than last year?
Yes, it is 0.08 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.84 m.
What is a normal level for the Western Yar at Freshwater in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.80 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.78 m and 0.86 m, based on 21 years of records.
Is Freshwater really 0.92 m deep?
No. 0.92 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 Freshwater today?
On 20 Oct 2026, 10:00 BST, the surface elevation was 0.92 m. Up 0.09 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Freshwater rising or falling?
Up 0.09 m over the last 24 hours. Up 0.09 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Freshwater normal?
Very high for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
How often is this data updated?
The Environment Agency publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:E14690(Agency page)- Coordinates
50.68268, -1.51780(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 | 0.92 m | 2026-10-20 09:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Freshwater (ea:E14690). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/isle-of-wight/freshwater
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