West Lilling water level
River gauge, River Foss, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Right now
Within the normal range
Water level
History
What this means
The River Foss at West Lilling is at 0.30 m, within its typical range.
The usual range here runs from −0.01 m to 2.50 m.
It has dropped 0.05 m over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.29 m and 0.44 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with the normal range the agency publishes for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Normal range
- −0.01 m – 2.50 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.29 m – 0.44 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.29 m – 0.40 m
- Highest on record
- 2.69 mOctober 29, 2023
- Lowest on record
- 0.00 mSeptember 3, 2018
Fishing and paddling
Paddlers and anglers can expect the river much as they know it, though a heavy shower upstream can change that within hours.
Flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency.
About the River Foss
The River Foss is in North Yorkshire, England. It is a tributary of the River Ouse. It rises in the Foss Crooks Woods near Oulston Reservoir close to the village of Yearsley and runs south through the Vale of York to the Ouse in the centre of York. The name most likely comes from the Latin word Fossa, meaning ditch. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The York district was settled by Norwegian and Danish people, so parts of the place names could be old Norse. Referring to the etymological dictionary "Etymologisk ordbog", ISBN 82-905-2016-6 deals with the common Danish and Norwegian languages – roots of words and the original meaning. The old Norse word Fos (waterfall) means impetuous. The River Foss was dammed, and even though the elevation to the River Ouse is small, a waterfall was formed. This may have led to the name Fos which became Foss.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on the River Foss
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HuntingtonRiver gauge, River Foss | 0.70 m | Low | ±0 | 9.8 km |
| York Castle Mills SluicesRiver gauge, River Foss | 7.57 m | Normal | ±0 | 13 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkham SluicesRiver gauge, River Derwent | 14.21 m | Low | ±0 | 9.4 km |
| ButtercrambeRiver gauge, River Derwent | 0.05 m | Lowest on record | −0.01 m | 10.0 km |
| Stamford BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent | 7.21 m | Very high | +0.01 m | 10 km |
| SkeltonRiver gauge, River Ouse | 0.71 m | Normal | −0.05 m | 11 km |
| York Wolfe AvenueRiver gauge, Tang Hall Beck | 0.03 m | Lowest on record | −0.02 m | 12 km |
| RawcliffeRiver gauge, Blue Beck | 0.12 m | Normal | ±0 | 12 km |
| Clifton Ings OutfallRiver gauge, River Ouse | 5.24 m | Low | −0.05 m | 12 km |
| HovinghamRiver gauge, Hovingham Beck | 0.03 m | Low | ±0 | 12 km |
Questions and answers
What is the typical range for the River Foss at West Lilling?
The Environment Agency gives a typical range of −0.01 m to 2.50 m for this gauge.
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 0.30 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of West Lilling today?
On 18 Oct 2026, 10:30 BST, the water level was 0.30 m. Down 0.05 m over the last 24 hours.
Is West Lilling rising or falling?
Down 0.05 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of West Lilling normal?
Within the normal range. Compared with the normal range the agency publishes for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at West Lilling?
The highest level on record is 2.69 m on October 29, 2023. The lowest is 0.00 m on September 3, 2018.
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:L2478(Agency page)- Coordinates
54.06416, -1.01804(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 | 0.30 m | 2026-10-18 09:30 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
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How to cite
Environment Agency: West Lilling (ea:L2478). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/north-yorkshire/west-lilling
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