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Maidenhead water level

River gauge, River Thames, Berkshire, United Kingdom

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

2.20m Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
5.00 m³/s
1 2 3 4 Highest onrecord 3.87 m Lowest on record 1.13 m

History

History
1020mOct 11Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range1020mOct 11Oct 14Oct 17Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
1020mSep 18Sep 25Oct 2Oct 10Oct 17Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range1020mSep 18Oct 2Oct 17Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
1020mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range1020mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
1020mJanMarMayJulSepNov20261020mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Maidenhead: the gauge reads 2.20 m, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.18 m below the median of 2.38 m for mid-October, based on 20 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 2.16 m (+0.04 m). The lowest reading on record is 1.13 m (August 10, 2009).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 2.18 m – 2.26 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
2.38 m0.18 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
2.25 m – 21.40 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
Normal range
2.27 m – 3.55 m
Same day last year
2.16 m+0.04 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
2.18 m – 2.26 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
2.16 m – 2.97 m
Highest on record
3.87 mJanuary 4, 2003
Lowest on record
1.13 mAugust 10, 2009

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 Thames

River Thames

The River Thames, or simply the Thames, known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At 215 miles (346 km), it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the River Severn.

Read more on Wikipedia

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 2.0 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

17 Sat 13° 6° 0.3 mm Wind 18 km/h
18 Sun 14° 7° 1.6 mm, 75% Wind 21 km/h
19 Mon 15° 9° 1.0 mm, 79% Wind 16 km/h
20 Tue 13° 10° 13 mm, 65% Wind 9 km/h
21 Wed 14° 7° 3.9 mm, 50% Wind 26 km/h
22 Thu 14° 5° 1.2 mm, 56% Wind 15 km/h
23 Fri 11° 7° 36 mm, 78% Wind 33 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:30 AM Sunset 06:07 PM Daylight 10 hr, 37 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the River Thames

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Boulters LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.14 m Low ±0 1.0 km
Bray LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.17 m Very low +0.01 m 1.8 km
Cookham LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.08 m Normal ±0 4.1 km
Boveney LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.19 m Normal ±0 5.6 km
Marlow LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.07 m Low ±0 6.7 km
Temple LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.03 m Low ±0 7.1 km
Romney LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.25 m Very high ±0 7.7 km
Hurley LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.05 m Low ±0 8.0 km
Windsor ParkRiver gauge, River Thames 3.30 m Normal ±0 8.9 km
Old Windsor LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.25 m Very high ±0 11 km
Hambleden LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.10 m Normal ±0 12 km
Marsh LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.24 m Normal +0.01 m 13 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
TaplowRiver gauge, Jubilee River 1.64 m Normal ±0 0.7 km
Raymill RoadRiver gauge, Maidenhead Ditch −0.03 m Lowest on record ±0 1.2 km
The BinghamsRiver gauge, The Cut 0.98 m Normal −0.02 m 2.1 km
BrayGroundwater well 17.26 m Low +0.02 m 2.9 km
Bourne EndRiver gauge, River Wye 0.16 m Normal ±0 5.2 km

Questions and answers

How does the River Thames at Maidenhead compare with last year?

It is 0.04 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.16 m.

What is a normal level for the River Thames at Maidenhead in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 2.38 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.25 m and 21.40 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 2.20 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Maidenhead today?

On 18 Oct 2026, 00:00 BST, the water level was 2.20 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Maidenhead rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Maidenhead normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Maidenhead?

The highest level on record is 3.87 m on January 4, 2003. The lowest is 1.13 m on August 10, 2009.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:2604TH (Agency page)
Coordinates
51.52415, -0.70210 (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 2.20 m 2026-10-17 23:00 Provisional
Flow 5.00 m³/s 2026-10-17 23:00 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Maidenhead (ea:2604TH). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/berkshire/maidenhead

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.