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Live flood warnings and river levels for Oxford's flood-prone reaches — Osney, Botley Road, Abingdon Road and the Cherwell — straight from Environment Agency gauges.
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Oxford floods from the Thames and the Cherwell, mostly between November and February — Botley Road, Osney, the Abingdon Road and the towpaths go first. This page reads the Environment Agency's live warnings and the four river gauges that speak for the city's wet spots, so you can see water coming before it arrives.
No flood warnings or alerts in force
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thames at Osney Lock | Osney Island and the towpath south of the lock | -0.05 m | Within typical range |
| Bulstake Stream at New Botley | Botley Road and the West Oxford streams | 0.751 m | Below typical range |
| Hinksey Stream at Cold Harbour | Abingdon Road, New Hinksey and south Oxford | 0.8 m | Below typical range |
| Cherwell at Kings Mill | The Cherwell side: Mesopotamia, University Parks and the Marston meadows | 1.482 m | Below 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.
The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme — a five-kilometre new stream and wetland corridor through the western floodplain — starts construction in late 2026 and takes about five years. Until it is built, nothing structural has changed: flood season remains a live risk, as it was in January 2024.
The Environment Agency sends free flood warnings by phone, text or email for your exact address — sign up at gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188. This page is a window on the same data, not a replacement for a warning that wakes you up.
Port Meadow floods by design most winters — it is the city's natural storage, not an emergency. But when the meadow is full, the Thames towpath between Wolvercote and Osney can be impassable; check before committing to a riverside walk or run.
Checked 24 August at 1:44. Uses Environment Agency flood and river level data from the real-time data API (Beta), Open Government Licence. Official warnings: check for flooding on GOV.UK.
No flood warnings in force
River gauges within their typical range