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Water Level Easing
Easing — down from 5.87 at 20:45, now 5.85
5.85

Lea Bridge

Lee
Lower Lee catchment • Stoke Newington • Greater London • ID: 5390TH • Level
(32m ago) • 4 readings/hr • 170 views

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⤴ Unusual rise — FloodRadar+Top 1% rise rate for this gauge.
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Not an emergency service — if in danger call 999. Alerts rely on EA/SEPA/NRW data and are best-efforts. Terms

Current Level
5.852 mASD
▼ Easing (-1cm/hr)
24h Max
5.872 mASD
24h Min
5.842 mASD
Typical Range
5.78 - 6.10
mASD
Highest Recorded
6.52 mASD
EA official record
7.06 in our data (since Oct 2014)
Current level is 90% of this
Current Flow
Loading...
🚽 Sewage overflows nearby

Recent Water Levels

🌍 floodradar.co.uk
1 day

Recent Readings

Falling · -1 cm over 5h
10 Oct 05:15 ▲ +0.1 cm 5.852 mASD
10 Oct 05:00 ▼ -0.8 cm 5.851 mASD
10 Oct 04:45 ▲ +0.7 cm 5.859 mASD
10 Oct 04:30 ▼ -0.2 cm 5.852 mASD
10 Oct 04:15 ▬ steady 5.854 mASD
10 Oct 04:00 ▼ -0.2 cm 5.854 mASD
10 Oct 03:45 ▼ -0.9 cm 5.856 mASD
10 Oct 03:30 ▲ +0.8 cm 5.865 mASD
10 Oct 03:15 ▬ steady 5.857 mASD
10 Oct 03:00 ▬ steady 5.858 mASD
10 Oct 02:45 ▬ steady 5.857 mASD
10 Oct 02:30 ▲ +0.1 cm 5.857 mASD
10 Oct 02:15 ▼ -0.1 cm 5.856 mASD
10 Oct 02:00 ▼ -0.7 cm 5.857 mASD
10 Oct 01:45 ▲ +0.6 cm 5.864 mASD
10 Oct 01:30 ▲ +0.2 cm 5.858 mASD
10 Oct 01:15 ▼ -0.8 cm 5.856 mASD
10 Oct 01:00 ▲ +0.6 cm 5.864 mASD
10 Oct 00:45 ▼ -0.8 cm 5.858 mASD
10 Oct 00:30 5.866 mASD

Station Details

Technical details: references, datum, range, flow archive
  • Station Reference: 5390TH
  • RLOI id: 7375 (the EA's check-for-flooding station id)
  • EA Gauge ID: 5390TH-level-stage-i-15_min-mASD
  • Parameter: Level
  • Unit: mASD
  • Typical rise rate: 5 cm/hr (p95 sustained over 90 days)
  • Typical data delay: ~22 min (measured reading→publication lag)
  • Tidal: No
  • Lock / structure: No
  • Catchment Area: Lower Lee
  • Typical Range: 5.778 – 6.100 mASD
  • Drainage Area: 1,364 km² upstream of this gauge
  • Flow Data: Daily mean flow (m³/s) to 8 Oct (2 days behind — the EA publishes each day's mean a day or two after it ends; unchecked, provisional) via EA Hydrology
  • EA Cross-check: 5.85 mASD (EA at 10 Oct 05:15)
  • Flow Archive: National River Flow Archive ↗

Geographic coordinates may reflect the access point for the gauge, and not the precise location in the watercourse that it is taking readings from.

Nearby Stations

Gauges connected to this river, and others nearby. A distance “by river” follows the river on the map; any other is in a straight line.

Connected upstream

Connected downstream

Same river system, separate branch

Nearby

Distances by river: OS Open Rivers. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

💧 Storm overflows upstream of this gauge

Storm overflows whose water reaches this gauge on the mapped river network, nearest first by distance along the river. The status is each water company's monitor: it says whether an overflow is discharging, not how much or what it contains.

33 storm overflows are traced upstream of this gauge, the nearest 1.8 km away along the river. 0 report discharging now, 28 report not discharging, and for 5 the monitor is offline or has not reported, so their status is not known.

💧
Thames Water · into River Lee · 1.8 km upstream along the river
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into Bounds Green Brook · 13.3 km upstream along the river
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into N/A · 14.9 km upstream along the river
2 spills · 1 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
Placed on the river by its position alone.
💧
Thames Water · into Lee · upstream (distance along the river not measured)
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now
💧
Thames Water · into The River Quin · upstream (distance along the river not measured)
7 spills · 93 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into The River Rib · upstream (distance along the river not measured)
3 spills · 5 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into Rib · upstream (distance along the river not measured)
7 spills · 10 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into River Lee · upstream (distance along the river not measured)
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last

25 more further upstream, up to 14.9 km away along the river.

Nearby, connection not known

Within 6 km in a straight line, but the river map cannot say whether their water passes this gauge.

💧
Thames Water · into Dagenham Brook · 1.4 km away in a straight line · its watercourse is not on the river map
5 spills · 31 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into Trib Of The Dagenham Brook · 2.5 km away in a straight line · no mapped watercourse close enough to be sure
2 spills · 10 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into N/A · 2.8 km away in a straight line · its watercourse is not on the river map
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into Dagenham Brook · 2.9 km away in a straight line · no mapped watercourse close enough to be sure
6 spills · 114 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last
💧
Thames Water · into Tonebridge Brook · 3.5 km away in a straight line · no mapped watercourse close enough to be sure
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now
💧
Thames Water · into Hennikers Ditch · 4.0 km away in a straight line · its watercourse is not on the river map
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
No live feed for this overflow
💧
Thames Water · into Hennikers Ditch · 4.0 km away in a straight line · its watercourse is not on the river map
41 spills · 68 hours in 2025
No live feed for this overflow
💧
Thames Water · into Lee · 4.9 km away in a straight line · no mapped watercourse close enough to be sure
0 spills · 0 hours in 2025
Not discharging now · last

4 more within 6 km whose connection is not known.

These are the water companies' monitor statuses; a spill does not by itself explain a change in the gauge level. River connections and distances are traced on OS Open Rivers (edition 2026-04), which leaves out many small channels. Explore the sewage map →

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Rainfall & Weather

Loading rainfall and weather data...

How often this river runs high

In a typical year this gauge reaches its typical high of 6.10 m on about 4 days. This year so far: 1 day.

2026 1 day so far
2025 26 days
2024 6 days
2023 2 days
2022 2 days
2021 2 days
2020 1 day
2019 0 days
2018 0 days
2017 0 days

Counted from each day's highest reading. Days with missing or implausible readings are left out.

Flood history near this gauge

Official Environment Agency warnings issued since 2009 for the 11 flood areas linked to this gauge (nearest 1.2 km away).

4flood warnings 17flood alerts

Most recent flood warning: 27 Nov 2024 — Ching Brook in the London Borough of Waltham Forest

Year by year
YearWarningsAlerts
2026 0 1
2025 0 1
2024 1 5
2022 1 2
2021 0 3
2019 1 0
2015 0 1
2014 0 3
2009 1 1

Warnings apply to a whole flood area, not necessarily this exact spot. Years before 2006 aren't covered by the EA's historic record. See also the Stoke Newington flood history.

Flood areas linked to this gauge

Flood warnings and alerts are issued for whole areas. These are the 11 areas linked to this gauge, nearest first.

Show 3 more

Catchment Character

🌊 Mixed response A balance of quick runoff and slower groundwater baseflow.

Your catchment is all the land that drains rainfall into the river above this gauge. Its character — how steep, wet, wooded, urban or chalky that land is — decides how fast rain here turns into a rising river. A steep, bare or clay catchment is “flashy” (rises and falls quickly, floods easily); a flat, chalk or well-wooded one is slow and steady. The tiles below put numbers to that; the flow-duration curve reads left-to-right from the river’s typical high flows (Q5) down to its low flows (Q95) — a steep curve means a flashy river.

The physical character of the land that drains to this gauge, and how it shapes its flood response — from the National River Flow Archive (UKCEH).

Baseflow Index
0.51
mixed response
Avg Annual Rainfall
654 mm/yr
1991–2020 · +3% since 1941–70
Urban Extent
13%
partly urbanised
Highest Daily Mean Flow
54.90 m³/s
10 Feb 2009 · daily mean, not the instantaneous peak
Flow-Duration Curve
mean 5.6111.904.623.085% (high)% of days exceeded95% (low)
Daily flow (m³/s) exceeded each % of the time — a steep curve is flashy, a flat one is steady. Q5 high · Q50 median · Q95 low.
Land Cover (2023)
Woodland 9%Grassland 31%Arable 38%Urban 22%Other 1%
Arable 47% → 38% since 1990

About this gauge

The ultrasonic gauging station is located in the lower River Lee catchment, close to the confluence of the River Thames.

More detail

The catchment

A mainly pervious (Chalk) catchment with extensive Drift cover. Predominantly rural headwaters. Substantial urban growth in lower valley.

The station

Multi-path, cross-configuration US. Combined with input of the Lee flood relief channel (at Low Hall - 038023), represents total inflow into the River Thames from the River Lee.

Flow regime

Runoff reduced by New River abstraction (see the Lee at Feildes Weir - 38001).

The flow record

Occasional anomalous behaviour at very low flows.

Descriptions from the National River Flow Archive (UKCEH). NRFA station record ↗

Gauge Details

How this gauging station is built and how long it has measured (NRFA / UKCEH).

Gauge type
Ultrasonic
Operating since
1992
Station datum
8.0 mAOD
Flow record
1992–2024 · 32 yrs · 92% complete
Hydrometric area
38
Measured by
Environment Agency

Frequently asked questions

Is the River Lee at Lea Bridge flooding today?

The current level is 5.85m, which is within the typical range of 5.78 to 6.10m. Flooding is unlikely at this level.

Is the river level rising or falling at Lea Bridge?

Based on the most recent readings, the level is currently falling slightly. The chart above shows the last 12 hours of measurements by default (up to 7 days), updated roughly every 15 minutes.

Why is the level slowly falling?

When little or no rain has fallen for a while, a river level gradually drops as the water stored in the ground and soil drains away with nothing to replace it. This is called baseflow recession and is normal in dry spells. Only about 8.0mm of rain has fallen nearby in the last 7 days, so the flow is being sustained mainly by groundwater. A gentle decline like this is expected and is not a sign of a problem — downstream gauges often recede a little faster than headwaters further upstream, and levels recover once rain returns.

What is a normal level for the River Lee at Lea Bridge?

The typical range at this station is 5.78m to 6.10m, based on Environment Agency historical data. Levels above 6.10m are higher than usually seen and may indicate a flood risk.

How often is this river level data updated?

Readings are supplied by the Environment Agency gauge. FloodRadar checks for updates roughly every 15 minutes; the timestamp above shows how recent the latest available reading is.

Embed this gauge on your website

Free live river-level widget — ideal for parish councils, angling clubs and local sites. Updates automatically.

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📮 Flood risk by postcode near this gauge

Postcodes within 5 km with properties in the Environment Agency’s rivers-and-sea flood-risk bands:

Check any UK postcode’s flood risk →

🏠 Buying or renting around here? Get the Property Flood-Risk Report for any English postcode — official risk band, recorded floods, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off. Learn more →