River levels in Kingston have approached their highest levels in 31 years and are expected to continue to rise over the next five days, according to the Environment Agency’s flood updates.

At 8.30am today the river was 5.39m high, well outside normal range but below the highest ever recorded level of 5.71m.

Levels ordinarily fluctuate between 3.49m and 5m.

Measurements have been taken since January 1983.

Surrey Comet:

A canoeist paddles past The Boaters Inn

Yesterday workers at Charter Quay bolstered their defences with sandbags as water lapped centimetres below a wall protecting the block’s underground car park.

An updated Environment Agency flood warning for the stretch between Raven’s Ait and Teddington Weir is in place.

It said: “The River Thames at Kingston is high and rising in response the previous rainfall and we are expecting the river to continue to rise over the next five days.

“Further property flooding is expected closest to the river.”

Surrey Comet:

Flood warnings and alerts from the Environmental Agency website 

Are you preparing for floods? Call the newsdesk on 020 8744 4244.