Houghton Bridge water level
River gauge, River Arun, West Sussex, United Kingdom
Right now
Lower than ever recorded here
Surface elevation
History
20252026
What this means
The River Arun at Houghton Bridge is running at a record low at 0.87 m.
No reading on record has been lower: the old record low was 1.23 m, from June 27, 2000. That puts it 0.70 m below the median of 1.57 m for mid-October, based on 9 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 1.43 m (−0.56 m).
It has risen 0.17 m over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.31 m and 2.30 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with the highest and lowest levels the agency has recorded at this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 1.57 m0.70 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.97 m – 1.84 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (9 years of records)
- Normal range
- 1.40 m – 2.50 m
- Same day last year
- 1.43 m−0.56 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.31 m – 2.30 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.47 m – 2.75 m
- Highest on record
- 3.69 mDecember 25, 2013
- Lowest on record
- 1.23 mJune 27, 2000
- Lowest on record
- 0.36 m below the lowest level on record
Fishing and paddling
At low levels, many rivers become a walk-and-paddle trip. Fish hold in deeper pools and spook easily.
Flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency.
About the River Arun
The River Arun is a river in the English county of West Sussex. At 37 miles (60 km) long, it is the longest river entirely in Sussex and one of the longest starting in Sussex after the River Medway, River Wey and River Mole. From the series of small streams that form its source in the area of St Leonard's Forest in the Weald, the Arun flows westwards through Horsham to Nowhurst where it is joined by the North River. Turning to the south, it is joined by its main tributary, the western River Rother, and continues through a gap in the South Downs to Arundel to join the English Channel at Littlehampton. It is one of the faster flowing rivers in England, and is tidal as far inland as Pallingham Quay, 25.5 miles (41.0 km) upstream from the sea at Littlehampton. The Arun gives its name to the Arun local government district of West Sussex.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 5.8 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 Arun
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArundelRiver gauge, River Arun | 0.97 m | Normal | +0.54 m | 4.8 km |
| Pulborough Swan BridgeRiver gauge, River Arun | 0.79 m | Normal | −0.03 m | 7.0 km |
| LittlehamptonRiver gauge, River Arun | 1.02 m | No reference yet | +0.76 m | 10.0 km |
| Ferring OutfallRiver gauge, River Arun | −3.42 m | Lowest on record | −0.01 m | 12 km |
| New BridgeRiver gauge, River Arun | 6.74 m | Normal | +0.15 m | 15 km |
| AlfoldeanRiver gauge, River Arun | 0.20 m | Normal | +0.10 m | 23 km |
| Provender MillRiver gauge, River Arun | 35.23 m | Normal | +0.09 m | 23 km |
| TanbridgeRiver gauge, River Arun | 32.30 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 23 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HardhamRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.28 m | Normal | +0.05 m | 6.0 km |
| LodsbridgeRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.53 m | Normal | +0.04 m | 13 km |
| Halfway BridgeRiver gauge, River Lod | 0.03 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 14 km |
| BognorRiver gauge, Aldingbourne Rife | −0.02 m | Normal | +0.06 m | 14 km |
| GraylingwellRiver gauge, River Lavant | 0.02 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 16 km |
| Beeding BridgeRiver gauge, River Adur | 0.78 m | Normal | ±0 | 17 km |
Questions and answers
How does the River Arun at Houghton Bridge compare with last year?
It is 0.56 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.43 m.
Is Houghton Bridge really 0.87 m deep?
No. 0.87 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 Houghton Bridge today?
On 20 Oct 2026, 20:30 BST, the surface elevation was 0.87 m. Up 0.17 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Houghton Bridge rising or falling?
Up 0.17 m over the last 24 hours. Up 0.11 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Houghton Bridge normal?
Lower than ever recorded here. Compared with the highest and lowest levels the agency has recorded at this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Houghton Bridge?
The highest level on record is 3.69 m on December 25, 2013. The lowest is 1.23 m on June 27, 2000.
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:E9930(Agency page)- Coordinates
50.89676, -0.54437(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 | 0.87 m | 2026-10-20 19:30 | 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: Houghton Bridge (ea:E9930). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/west-sussex/houghton-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.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer