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#Thames barrier free

You can watch a video that shows how the Thames Barrier works:Ī video of how the Thames Barrier works Thames Barrier closures The Thames Barrier is then opened, allowing the water upstream to flow out to sea with the outward bound tide. This is a managed process to provide for different circumstances, and takes about 5 hours. The Thames Barrier will then remain closed over high water until the water level downstream of the Thames Barrier has reduced to the same level as upstream. It may also be closed during periods of high flow over Teddington Weir to reduce the risk of river flooding in some areas of west London including Richmond and Twickenham. The barrier is closed under storm surge conditions to protect London from flooding from the sea. When raised, the main gates stand as high as a 5 storey building and as wide as the opening of Tower Bridge. It has 10 steel gates that can be raised into position across the River Thames. The Thames Barrier spans 520 metres across the River Thames near Woolwich, and it protects 125 square kilometres of central London from flooding caused by tidal surges. The final decision for closure lies with the Thames Barrier Duty Controller. The closing process is guided by a mathematical matrix that considers the river flow, tide and surge at the time.

The barrier has no individual trigger level for closure. the river flow entering the tidal Thames, measured as it passes over Teddington Weirįind up to date data for river and sea levels at the Thames Estuary and Teddington Weir.

the height of the tidal surge, which naturally accompanies each tide.

the height of the tide (usually a spring tide) measured at the Thames Estuary.

The decision to close, or not, is based on a combination of 3 major factors: This hydrological and meteorological data is fed into the control room every minute from a wide network of tide and river pressure and wind gauges. This is supplemented by data from the Met Office and real-time information provided by the UK National Tidegauge Network. Information comes from a range of mathematical computer models that forecast expected sea and river levels. The barrier will close just after low tide, or about 4 hours before the peak of the incoming tide surge reaches the barrier. They can forecast dangerous conditions up to 36 hours in advance. The Environment Agency receives information on potential tidal surges from weather satellites, oil rigs, weather ships and coastal stations. However, the café remains closed.įor further information please call us on 02 or email Forecasting closures Guides will be on site explaining to visitors how the Thames Barrier works.

#Thames barrier free

Members of the public can visit the Thames Barrier free of charge during its annual closure from 10:00am to 4:00pm on 24 September 2022, when the Information Centre will be open for visitors to learn more. If you plan to come and watch a test closure, please call us the day before to check it is going ahead.Ģ4 September 2022 * Saturday 09:45am to 01:45amġ3 October 2022 Thursday 09:45am to 12:15pmġ4 November 2022 Monday 09:35am to 12:05pmġ4 December 2022 Wednesday 09:50am to 12:20pmġ2 January 2023 Thursday 09:45am to 12:15pmĩ February 2023 Thursday 09:00am to 11:30am

Occasionally closures may be cancelled at short notice due to the Thames Barrier being closed in that month for flood defence purposes or navigational reasons. The closure and reopening of the gates may start up to an hour before the listed times. Please note these times may change as a result of a particular experiment or test that engineers need to carry out or because of the weather. Details of the next planned closures are listed below. The Barrier is operated once a month for maintenance and test purposes. The Thames Barrier Forthcoming scheduled closures Planned tests of the Thames Barrier 2022