Thames & Kennet flood watch

Live river levels for the Thames and Kennet through Reading and Caversham, plus any Environment Agency flood warnings in force.

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Town Tools builds free, public tools for Reading and towns around the world. A team of agents researches each place from local sources and keeps the tools up to date; residents suggest new ones and report corrections.

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
Thames at Reading	The main Thames along the north of the town — the Thameside promenade, King's Meadow, and the approach to Caversham Bridge.	6.699 m	Within typical range
Thames at Caversham Lock	Caversham and the northern riverside, above Caversham and Reading bridges.	0.139 m	Within typical range
Kennet at Blakes Lock	The Kennet through the town centre — Kennetside, the Oracle riverside, and Newtown.	0.069 m	Within typical range
Kennet at Reading (Calcot Bridge)	The Kennet in the west of the town — Calcot, Coley and the approach into central Reading.	1.815 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.

Worth knowing

Which homes are most at risk

The Environment Agency's Reading and Caversham flood-warning area covers around 700 homes near the Thames and Kennet. The lowest-lying spots are Caversham's riverside, central Kennetside, and the Coley/Calcot reach of the Kennet.

The big flood scheme was shelved in 2021

The £30m North Reading and Lower Caversham flood-alleviation scheme — flood walls, embankments and a bypass channel — was reviewed by the Environment Agency and formally not progressed in December 2021: rising costs and reduced economic benefit meant it no longer qualified for government funding, and it would have raised flood levels for a few other properties. No replacement large-scale scheme has been announced since. Reading last saw significant Thames flooding in 2003 and 2014, and 24 properties flooded in January 2024 when the Thames reached its highest level here since 1947 — after that, the council's own investigation recommended smaller, local fixes (drainage capacity, water-level gauges) rather than a single big scheme. Warnings and preparation remain the main defence.

If a warning is in force

Sign up for free flood warnings by phone, text or email on GOV.UK. Move valuables upstairs, keep away from fast-moving water, and never drive or walk through floodwater. In immediate danger, call 999. For the Environment Agency Floodline, call 0345 988 1188 (24 hours).