South Cerney water level
River gauge, River Churn, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Right now
Lower than ever recorded here
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at South Cerney: the gauge reads 0.27 m, at a record low.
That is below the previous record low of 0.30 m (December 10, 2011), so the gauge is setting a new low. The median for mid-October is 0.41 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.14 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.32 m, a difference of −0.05 m.
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.27 m – 0.33 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
- 0.41 m0.14 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.28 m – 0.79 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.35 m – 1.31 m
- Same day last year
- 0.32 m−0.05 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.27 m – 0.33 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.27 m – 1.26 m
- Highest on record
- 1.47 mNovember 26, 2012
- Lowest on record
- 0.30 mDecember 10, 2011
- Lowest on record
- 0.03 m below the lowest level on record
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 Churn
The River Churn is a tributary of the River Thames in central England. It rises at Seven Springs in Gloucestershire and flows south for approximately 37.3 km (23.2 mi) to meet the Thames at Cricklade in Wiltshire. Its length from its source to the confluence with the Thames is greater than that of the Thames from Thames Head, but the Churn is regarded as a tributary, rather than the main river.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 1.8 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 Churn
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerney WickRiver gauge, River Churn | −0.09 m | Very low | ±0 | 3.1 km |
| CirencesterRiver gauge, River Churn | 0.09 m | Very low | ±0 | 6.2 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerford KeynesRiver gauge, River Thames | 0.44 m | Low | ±0 | 3.7 km |
| EwenRiver gauge, River Thames | −0.02 m | Normal | ±0 | 3.9 km |
| Ampney St PeterRiver gauge, Ampney Brook | 0.07 m | Very low | ±0 | 5.1 km |
| CrickladeRiver gauge, River Thames | 0.04 m | Very low | ±0 | 5.6 km |
| Sheeppen BridgeRiver gauge, Ampney Brook | −0.12 m | Low | ±0 | 6.2 km |
| OakseyRiver gauge, Swill Brook | −0.30 m | Lowest on record | ±0 | 6.8 km |
| Purton StokeRiver gauge, River Key | 0.50 m | Low | ±0 | 7.9 km |
| Whetstone BridgeRiver gauge, Marston Meysey Brook | 0.08 m | Normal | ±0 | 8.1 km |
Questions and answers
Is the River Churn at South Cerney higher than last year?
No, it is 0.05 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.32 m.
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 0.27 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of South Cerney today?
On 18 Oct 2026, 21:30 BST, the water level was 0.27 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is South Cerney rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.
Is the level of South Cerney 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 South Cerney?
The highest level on record is 1.47 m on November 26, 2012. The lowest is 0.30 m on December 10, 2011.
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:0278TH(Agency page)- Coordinates
51.67390, -1.93415(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 | 0.27 m | 2026-10-18 20:30 | 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: South Cerney (ea:0278TH). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/gloucestershire/south-cerney
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