Long Load water level
River gauge, Witcombe Bottom Main Drain, Somerset, United Kingdom
Right now
Very high for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
The gauge at Long Load shows 7.42 m, well above normal for mid-October.
That puts it 0.07 m above the median of 7.35 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 7.35 m (+0.07 m). The record high is 10.64 m, set on October 23, 2001.
The water is rising: up 0.07 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 7.31 m and 7.42 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
- 7.35 m0.07 m above the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 7.33 m – 7.38 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 6.65 m – 8.44 m
- Same day last year
- 7.35 m+0.07 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 7.31 m – 7.42 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 5.99 m – 10.32 m
- Highest on record
- 10.64 mOctober 23, 2001
- Lowest on record
- 6.27 mMarch 23, 2008
High water at Long Load
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: 2.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huish Episcopi Pumping StationRiver gauge, Longload Main Drain | 1.27 m | Normal | +0.03 m | 3.6 km |
| Huish Episcopi Pumping StationRiver gauge, River Yeo | 1.69 m | Normal | −0.06 m | 3.6 km |
| Gaw BridgeRiver gauge, River Parrett | 0.25 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 4.6 km |
| MidelneyRiver gauge, River Isle | 1.42 m | Normal | ±0 | 5.1 km |
| MidelneyRiver gauge, West Moor Drain | 1.01 m | Normal | ±0 | 5.1 km |
| IlchesterRiver gauge, River Yeo | 0.08 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 5.4 km |
| Westover Pumping StationRiver gauge, Huish Level Rhyne | 1.03 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 5.9 km |
| ChiselboroughRiver gauge, River Parrett | 0.05 m | Normal | ±0 | 9.4 km |
Questions and answers
How does Witcombe Bottom Main Drain at Long Load compare with last year?
It is 0.07 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 7.35 m.
What is a normal level for Witcombe Bottom Main Drain at Long Load in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 7.35 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 7.33 m and 7.38 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 7.42 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Long Load today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 12:30 BST, the water level was 7.42 m. Up 0.07 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Long Load rising or falling?
Up 0.07 m over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Long Load normal?
Very high for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Long Load?
The highest level on record is 10.64 m on October 23, 2001. The lowest is 6.27 m on March 23, 2008.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:52156(Agency page)- Coordinates
51.01087, -2.75898(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 | 7.42 m | 2026-10-17 11:30 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Long Load (ea:52156). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/somerset/long-load
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