Bucknall water level
River gauge, River Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Bucknall: the gauge reads 0.08 m, below normal for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 0.12 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.05 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.24 m, a difference of −0.16 m.
It is still going down, by 0.01 m over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.06 m – 0.21 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
- 0.12 m0.05 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.07 m – 0.24 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.07 m – 0.39 m
- Same day last year
- 0.24 m−0.16 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.06 m – 0.21 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.05 m – 0.62 m
- Highest on record
- 2.51 mAugust 23, 1987
- Lowest on record
- 0.03 mFebruary 27, 1986
For anglers and canoeists
Low rivers are hard going for paddlers, with exposed gravel and weirs that are awkward to shoot. Salmon and sea trout usually wait for the next spate to run.
Many angling and canoe clubs check gauges like this one before heading out.
About the River Trent
The Trent, the third-longest river in the United Kingdom, has its source in Staffordshire, on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It drains the North Midlands, eventually flowing into the Humber Estuary. The river is known for dramatic flooding after storms and spring snowmelt, which in the past have often caused its course to change.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 8.4 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the River Trent
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanford BridgeRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.42 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 4.7 km |
| KnypersleyRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.43 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 7.4 km |
| DarlastonRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.79 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 11 km |
| Great HaywoodRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.84 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 26 km |
| Kings BromleyRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.61 m | Low | −0.03 m | 38 km |
| DrakelowRiver gauge, River Trent | 1.04 m | Low | −0.03 m | 43 km |
| WillingtonRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.83 m | Low | −0.03 m | 44 km |
| ShardlowRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.47 m | Normal | −0.03 m | 58 km |
| Clifton BridgeRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.98 m | Normal | ±0 | 67 km |
| ColwickRiver gauge, River Trent | 1.07 m | Low | +0.02 m | 73 km |
| FarndonRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.31 m | Normal | ±0 | 88 km |
| North MuskhamRiver gauge, River Trent | 0.83 m | Low | −0.02 m | 92 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Road, Stoke-On-TrentRiver gauge, Fowlea Brook | 0.03 m | Low | ±0 | 1.9 km |
| Newcastle Under LymeRiver gauge, Lyme Brook | 0.21 m | Normal | ±0 | 4.6 km |
| Brookhouse FarmRiver gauge, Ford Green Brook | 0.21 m | Normal | ±0 | 7.5 km |
| Blythe BridgeRiver gauge, River Blithe | 0.32 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 7.9 km |
| Flint MillRiver gauge, River Churnet | 0.04 m | Low | ±0 | 10 km |
| WallgrangeRiver gauge, Endon Brook | 0.08 m | Very low | −0.01 m | 10 km |
| Basford BridgeRiver gauge, River Churnet | 0.24 m | Low | ±0 | 10 km |
Questions and answers
Is the River Trent at Bucknall higher than last year?
No, it is 0.16 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.24 m.
What is a normal level for the River Trent at Bucknall in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.12 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.07 m and 0.24 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 0.08 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Bucknall today?
On 19 Oct 2026, 04:45 BST, the water level was 0.08 m. Down 0.01 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Bucknall rising or falling?
Down 0.01 m over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Bucknall 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 Bucknall?
The highest level on record is 2.51 m on August 23, 1987. The lowest is 0.03 m on February 27, 1986.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:4040(Agency page)- Coordinates
53.01757, -2.16213(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 | 0.08 m | 2026-10-19 03:45 | 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: Bucknall (ea:4040). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/staffordshire/bucknall
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