Guidance

River Thames: current river conditions

The current conditions affecting boaters on the River Thames and what the warnings mean.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
12 February 2020
Last updated
1415 March 2023 — See all updates

Before you take your boat out on the River Thames, you should find out the current river conditions and make sure you understand what they mean. You should also check if there are any closures or restrictions in your area.

Current river conditions: updated 1415 March 2023

You can also talk to lock staff to get the latest river conditions and strong stream warnings.

Lechlade to Oxford

Reach Current conditions
Upstream of St John’s Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
St John’s Lock to Buscot Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Buscot Lock to Grafton Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Grafton Lock to Radcot Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Radcot Lock to Rushey Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Rushey Lock to Shifford Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Shifford Lock to Northmoor Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Northmoor Lock to Pinkhill Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Pinkhill Lock to Eynsham Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Eynsham Lock to King’s Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
King’s Lock to Godstow Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Godstow Lock to Osney Lock Red Caution strong stream warning
Osney Lock to Iffley Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing

Oxford to Henley

Reach Current conditions
Iffley Lock to Sandford Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Sandford Lock to Abingdon Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Abingdon Lock to Culham Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Culham Lock to Clifton Lock Red Caution strong stream warning
Clifton Lock to Day’s Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Day’s Lock to Benson Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Benson Lock to Cleeve Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Cleeve Lock to Goring Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Goring Lock to Whitchurch Lock Red Caution strong stream warning
Whitchurch Lock to Mapledurham Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Mapledurham Lock to Caversham Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Upstream of Blake’s Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Caversham Lock to Sonning Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Sonning Lock to Shiplake Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Shiplake Lock to Marsh Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Marsh Lock to Hambleden Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing

Henley to Teddington

Reach Current conditions
Hambleden Lock to Hurley Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Hurley Lock to Temple Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Temple Lock to Marlow Lock Red Caution strong stream warning
Marlow Lock to Cookham Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Cookham Lock to Boulters Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Boulters Lock to Bray Lock Yellow Caution stream increasing
Bray Lock to Boveney Lock Yellow Caution stream warning
Boveney Lock to Romney Lock No stream warnings
Romney Lock to Old Windsor Lock No stream warnings
Old Windsor Lock to Bell Weir Lock No stream warnings
Bell Weir Lock to Penton Hook Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Penton Hook Lock to Chertsey Lock Red Caution strong stream warning
Chertsey Lock to Shepperton Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Shepperton Lock to Sunbury Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Sunbury Lock to Molesey Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing
Molesey Lock to Teddington Lock Yellow Caution stream decreasing

What the warnings mean

Any river activity poses a greater risk when there are strong currents, high river levels or cold weather conditions. River flows can increase even during the summer months. Never assume that sunny weather means the conditions are not hazardous.

The Environment Agency may display warning boards at locks to inform river users of the conditions. Read the explanations of what these mean for you. Do not take risks and never underestimate the power of the river.

Strong stream warning

A red sign with white text reading 'Caution: Strong stream'.

Strong stream warning board

When these red boards are displayed on lock gates, the Environment Agency advises users of all boats not to navigate. The strong flows make it difficult and dangerous.

People in hire boats arriving at a lock where these boards are displayed should stop immediately. Contact your hire boat operator to ask for instructions.

Stream increasing warning

A yellow sign with black text reading 'Caution: Stream increasing'.

Stream increasing warning board

When these yellow boards are displayed on lock gates, the Environment Agency advises:

  • users of all unpowered boats not to navigate
  • users of powered boats to find a safe mooring

River flows are likely to strengthen, and strong stream boards could be displayed very soon and without further warning.

Stream decreasing warning

A yellow sign with black text reading 'Caution: Stream decreasing'.

Stream decreasing warning board

When these yellow boards are displayed on lock gates, the Environment Agency advises:

  • users of all unpowered boats not to navigate
  • users of powered boats to navigate with caution

Using navigation marks

When travelling upstream, keep red navigation buoys to your left and green navigation buoys to your right.

When travelling downstream, keep red buoys to your right and green buoys to your left.

You may pass single yellow marker buoys on either side.

In all cases, keep well clear of navigation buoys. Be aware of possible shoals on the inside of river bends.

Dealing with changing river conditions

If you find yourself in conditions where the Environment Agency advises you to stop navigating, please take the advice and stop. Even the most experienced boater can be caught out, so think about those who could be put in danger if they have to help you.

You may find the following measures helpful. Not all conditions will be serious enough to need all the suggested measures.

Moor your boat in a safe place, preferably in a marina or at a recognised mooring. Limited space may be available at some locks. Moor against high banks if you can.

Ensure your mooring lines are fastened to secure fixings such as bollards, rings or even trees. Put out extra lines for more security and allow enough slack for a further rise in river levels. Do not rely on your own mooring pins or stakes, as they might not hold.

If possible, put extra fendering (such as scaffold poles or strong timber posts) between your boat and the bank side. This may prevent your boat drifting onto the river bank and becoming caught up when levels drop.

Make sure you have a safe exit ashore from your boat. If not, consider returning home or finding alternative accommodation until conditions improve.

If you are not able to vacate your boat safely and are running low on essential supplies or have other safety concerns, treat this as an emergency. Dial 999 to ask for evacuation.

Those in hire boats should stop immediately if you are advised to stop navigating. Contact your hire boat operator and follow their instructions.

Please remember your life is more important than your boat.

The Environment Agency does not provide emergency services. We are not able to carry out search and rescue, or provide supplies to stranded boats.

Contact the Environment Agency

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Environment incident hotline

Telephone (24 hour service) 0800 80 70 60

Published 12 February 2020
Last updated 1415 March 2023 + show all updates

  1. River Thames current conditions. Updated 15 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  2. River Thames current river conditions updated for Tuesday 14 March. Changes to Buscot, Sonning, Shiplake, Marsh, Hambleden, Boveney, Romney, Old Windsor, Bell Weir, Penton Hook, Sunbury and Molesey.

  3. River Thames current river conditions updated for Monday 13 March. Changes to Hurley and Temple reaches. Environment Agency Floodline information removed. Line no longer in use.

  4. River Thames current river conditions updated for Monday 13 March 2023. Changes to Romney and Old Windsor reaches.

  5. River Thames: current conditions updated for Sunday 12 March 2023. Changes to following reaches - Radcot, Rushey, Shifford, Northmoor, Goring, Bell Weir, Shepperton and Teddington.

  6. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 12 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  7. River Thames: Current Conditions updated for 11 March 2023. Changes to the following reaches - Blakes, Shiplake, Hurley, Temple, Romney, Old Windsor and Shepperton

  8. River Thames current river conditions updated for Saturday 11 March 2023. Changes to the following reaches: Bell Weir Lock, Chertsey Lock, Molesey, Teddington

  9. River Thames current river conditions updated for Friday 10 March 2023. Changes to the following reaches - Buscot, Rushey, Shifford, Goring, Whitchurch, Blake's, Sonning, Marsh, Hambleden, Marlow, Boveney, Romney, Old Windsor, Bell Weir and Sunbury.

  10. River Thames current river conditions updated for Friday 10 March 2023. Changes to the following reaches - St John's, Buscot, Grafton, Radcot, Northmoor, Osney, Iffley, Sandford, Abingdon, Culham, Clifton, Day's, Benson, Cleeve, Goring, Whitchurch, Mapledurham, Penton Hook, Chertsey and Shepperton

  11. River Thames current conditions 2nd update for Thursday 9 March 2023. There are now 22 locks with Yellow Caution stream increasing.

  12. River Thames current conditions updated for Thursday 9 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  13. River Thames current conditions updated for Wednesday 8 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  14. River Thames current conditions updated for Tuesday 7 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  15. River Thames river conditions updated Monday 6 March. Changes to the following reaches Caversham, Blakes and Shiplake.

  16. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 5 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  17. River Thames conditions updated for Saturday 4 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  18. River Thames current conditions updated for Friday 3 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  19. River Thames current conditions updated for Thursday 2 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  20. River Thames current conditions updated for Wednesday 1 March 2023. No stream warning changes.

  21. River Thames current river conditions updated for Tuesday 28 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  22. River Thames current river conditions updated for Monday 27 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  23. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 26 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  24. River Thames current conditions updated for Saturday 25 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  25. River Thames current conditions updated for Friday 24 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  26. River Thames current conditions updated for Thursday 23 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  27. River Thames current conditions updated for Wednesday 22 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  28. River Thames current conditions updated for Tuesday 21 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  29. River Thames current conditions updated for Monday 20 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  30. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 19 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  31. River Thames current conditions updated for Saturday 18 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  32. River Thames current conditions updated for Friday 17 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  33. River Thames current conditions updated for Thursday 16 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  34. River Thames current conditions updated for Wednesday 15 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  35. River Thames current conditions updated for Tuesday 14 February 2023. No stream warnings at any locks except Caversham, Blakes and Shiplake locks which are still on Yellow caution: stream decreasing.

  36. River Thames current conditions updated for Monday 13 February 2023. Godstow to Osney Lock changed to no stream warning.

  37. River Thames: 2nd update for 12 February 2023. Changes to the following reaches, Radcot, Rushey, Shifford, Northmoor, Pinkhill, Eynsham, Kings and Godstow

  38. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 12 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  39. River Thames: current conditions updated for Saturday 11 February 2023. No stream changes.

  40. River Thames: current conditions updated for Friday 10 February 2023. No stream changes.

  41. River Thames: current conditions updated for Thursday 9 February 2023. No stream changes.

  42. River Thames: current conditions updated for Wednesday 8 February 2023. Changes to following reaches - Sandford, Abingdon, Culham and Clifton.

  43. River Thames current conditions updated for Tuesday 7 February 2023. One stream change – Godstow lock to Osney lock now on Caution stream decreasing.

  44. River Thames current conditions updated for Monday 6 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  45. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 5 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  46. River Thames current conditions updated for Saturday 4 February 2023. No stream warning changes.

  47. River Thames: current conditions updated for Friday 3 February 2023. Changes to following reaches - Iffley, Sonning, Marlow and Sunbury

  48. River Thames: current conditions updated for Thursday 2 February 2023. Changes to the following reaches - Grafton, Northmoor, Pinkhill, Eynsham, King's, Osney, Iffley, Clifton, Day's, Benson, Cleeve, Goring, Whitchurch, Mapledurham, Blake's, Sonning, Penton Hook, Boveney, Chertsey, Shepperton, Molesey and Teddington.

  49. River Thames: current conditions updated for Wednesday 1 February 2023. Change to Penton Hook reach.

  50. River Thames: current conditions updated for Wednesday 1 February 2023. Changes to following reaches - Buscot, Radcot, Rushey and Shifford.

  51. River Thames: current conditions updated for Tuesday 31 January 2023. Changes to following reaches - Buscot, Radcot, Rushey, Shifford, Pinkhill, Eynsham, Osney, Clifton, Day's, Caversham, Blake's, Marlow, Romney.

  52. River Thames: current conditions updated for Monday 30 January 2023. Changes to following reaches - Marsh, Hambleden, Hurley, Temple, Marlow and Cookham.

  53. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 29 January 2023. No stream warning changes.

  54. River Thames: current conditions updated for Saturday 28 January 2023. The following reaches changed to Caution stream decreasing - Grafton, Pinkhill, King’s, Godstow and Sonning, Romney, Old Windsor and Bell Weir reaches now have no stream warning.

  55. River Thames: current conditions updated for Friday 27 January 2023. Changes to Benson and Mapledurham reach.

  56. River Thames: current conditions updated for Thursday 26 January 2023. Changes to the following reaches: Sandford, Abingdon, Culham, Cleeve, Bray, Shepperton and Sunbury.

  57. River Thames: current conditions updated for Wednesday 25 January 2023. Changes to Boulters reach and Molesey reach.

  58. River Thames: current conditions updated for Tuesday 24 January 2023. Two changes; St John's reach and Teddington reach Caution Stream Decreasing.

  59. River Thames current conditions updated for Monday 23 January 2023. Upstream of Blake's Lock now Caution strong stream

  60. River Thames current conditions updated for Sunday 22 January 2023. Blakes Lock now Caution stream decreasing.

  61. River Thames current conditions updated for Friday 20 January 2023. No stream warning changes.

  62. River Thames current conditions updated for Friday 20 January 2023. No changes.

  63. River Thames current conditions updated for Thursday 19 January 2023. No changes.

  64. River Thames current conditions updated for Wednesday 18 January 2023. No changes.

  65. River Thames current river conditions updated for Tuesday 17 January 2023.

  66. Updated for 16 January 2022

  67. River Thames current river conditions updated for Sunday 15 January 2023

  68. River Thames current river conditions updated for Saturday 14 January 2023

  69. River Thames: current river conditions updated for Friday 13 January 2023

  70. River Thames current river conditions updated for Thursday 12 January 2023.

  71. Added a section on using navigation marks.

  72. Added contact details for the Environment Agency.

  73. First published.

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