River Chelt Flood Watch

Live River Chelt levels and any flood warnings in force, read from the Environment Agency.

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River levels

Levels are measured against each gauge’s usual range — “above typical” doesn’t mean flooding, but it’s the first thing that moves when water is on its way.

Gauge	Speaks for	Reading	Level
Charlton Kings	The Chelt entering town from the east at Charlton Kings — where it reached its highest level on record in the July 2007 flood. The first gauge to move when rain runs off Cleeve Hill.	0.303 m	Within typical range
Cox's Flume	Cox's Meadow, just upstream of the centre — the Environment Agency's flood-storage area that fills first to hold water back from the town	0.294 m	Within typical range
College Road	The culverted Chelt through the town centre near College Road — one of the reaches the Environment Agency keeps a flood-warning area for	0.171 m	Within typical range
Arle	The Chelt leaving town to the west through Arle — a high reading here means a lot of water has already come through the centre	0.414 m	Within typical range

Each reading is metres on that gauge’s own scale, so compare a gauge with itself over time — not one gauge with another.

Worth knowing

Where the flood risk sits

Cheltenham's flood risk is specific, not townwide. The Environment Agency keeps standing flood-warning areas on the River Chelt — including reaches at Charlton Kings and around College Road — and a wider flood-alert area for the Chelt and its tributaries. If any is activated it appears under 'Warnings in force' above. Surface-water flooding after sudden downpours can also affect low spots away from the river itself.

Above typical is not the same as flooding

Each gauge is judged against its own usual range. 'Above typical' means the river is fuller than normal and worth watching — not that it is over its banks. For comparison, the Charlton Kings gauge usually sits around 0.3-0.45 m and reached 2.66 m in 2007.

Sign up for the official warnings

This page is a window on the Environment Agency's data, not a replacement for a warning that wakes you up. Sign up for free flood warnings by phone, text or email for your exact address at gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings, or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (24 hours; textphone 0345 602 6340). If flooding puts anyone in immediate danger, call 999.