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Lea Bridge water level

River gauge, River Lee, Greater London, United Kingdom

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Right now

Very high for mid-October

Water level

5.87m Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
4.25 m³/s
5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 Highest onrecord 6.52 m Lowest on record 5.07 m

History

History
5.805.85mOct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 15Oct 17Bottom of normal range5.805.85mOct 10Oct 14Oct 17Bottom of normal range
5.805.855.90mSep 17Sep 25Oct 2Oct 10Oct 17Bottom of normal range5.805.855.90mSep 17Oct 2Oct 17Bottom of normal range
5.85.96.06.1mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range5.85.96.06.1mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
5.805.855.90mJanMarMayJulSepNov20265.805.855.90mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range

What this means

The River Lee at Lea Bridge is well above normal at 5.87 m.

That puts it 0.06 m above the median of 5.80 m for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 5.84 m (+0.02 m). The record high is 6.52 m, set on January 4, 2024.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 5.84 m and 5.90 m.

Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.

Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
5.80 m0.06 m above the median for this date
Normal for this date
5.78 m – 5.86 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Normal range
5.78 m – 6.10 m
Same day last year
5.84 m+0.02 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.84 m – 5.90 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.83 m – 5.93 m
Highest on record
6.52 mJanuary 4, 2024
Lowest on record
5.07 mApril 7, 2006

Flood levels and safety

A high reading on its own does not mean property is at risk. The warnings issued by the Environment Agency take local defences and the forecast into account.

Readings can change quickly after heavy rain upstream, so check again before heading near the water.

About the River Lee

River Lea

The River Lea is a river in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of the largest rivers in London and the easternmost major tributary of the Thames.

Read more on Wikipedia

Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:28 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 37 min First quarter 41%

Map

Other gauges on the River Lee

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Walthamstow, Low HallRiver gauge, River Lee 0.04 m Normal ±0 0.9 km
Hoddesdon, Rye BridgeRiver gauge, River Lee 2.85 m Normal ±0 23 km
WaterhallRiver gauge, River Lee 0.13 m Low +0.01 m 23 km
HarpendenRiver gauge, River Lee 0.81 m Normal +0.01 m 36 km
Luton East HydeRiver gauge, River Lee 1.09 m Normal ±0 39 km
Luton, Stockingstone RoadRiver gauge, River Lee 0.03 m Low ±0 45 km
Luton, Toddington RoadRiver gauge, River Lee −0.02 m Very low −0.01 m 47 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
WalthamstowRiver gauge, Ching Brook 1.03 m Very low −0.03 m 4.8 km
Edmonton, Silver StreetRiver gauge, Pymmes Brook 0.03 m Low −0.03 m 5.4 km
RedbridgeRiver gauge, River Roding 0.12 m Low ±0 6.4 km
Edmonton GreenRiver gauge, Salmon Brook 0.06 m Very low −0.03 m 6.5 km
ChingfordRiver gauge, Ching Brook 0.20 m Normal −0.01 m 7.0 km
Powys LaneRiver gauge, Pymmes Brook 0.64 m Very low −0.02 m 7.2 km
Enfield, The ChineRiver gauge, Salmon Brook 0.96 m Normal −0.01 m 8.9 km
Hampstead SuburbRiver gauge, Mutton Brook 0.80 m Low −0.02 m 9.2 km

Questions and answers

How does the River Lee at Lea Bridge compare with last year?

It is 0.02 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 5.84 m.

What is a normal level for the River Lee at Lea Bridge in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 5.80 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.78 m and 5.86 m, based on 20 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 5.87 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Lea Bridge today?

On 17 Oct 2026, 15:30 BST, the water level was 5.87 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lea Bridge rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.01 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lea Bridge normal?

Very high for mid-October. Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lea Bridge?

The highest level on record is 6.52 m on January 4, 2024. The lowest is 5.07 m on April 7, 2006.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:5390TH (Agency page)
Coordinates
51.56783, -0.05103 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 5.87 m 2026-10-17 14:30 Provisional
Flow 4.25 m³/s 2026-10-17 14:30 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Lea Bridge (ea:5390TH). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/greater-london/lea-bridge

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.