River Thames flood alert issued between Hurley and Cookham as waters rise

A flood alert has  been issued for the River Thames at Bourne End, Cookham, Hurley and Marlow as water levels rise following days of rain.

Government monitoring services said river levels ‘remain high and steady’ with possible flooding of low-lying land ‘especially in the Marlow area’.

People have been urged to avoid using low-lying footpaths and bridges near the water, as more rain is forecast over the weekend.

The River Thames at Marlow Lock was described as ‘high’ and ‘steady’ by the check for flooding website, and showed water levels 6cm higher than the upper limit of its normal range.

At Cookham Lock, the River Thames had risen 15cm since Wednesday (January 21), but it remained 19cm below the top of its normal range.

At Hurley Lock, water levels were also below the upper limit, but had risen 10cm since Wednesday (January 21).

An update on the Government check for flooding website at 4.38pm on Friday said: “River levels remain high and steady.

"Flooding of low-lying land and roads remains possible, especially in the Marlow area.

“Further rainfall is forecast over the next 24 hours. We expect river levels to remain high over the next few days. We are monitoring rainfall and river levels.

“Avoid using low lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses.”