An alert is in place for possible flooding which may impact walkers on the Thames Path. Levels on the River Thames should be high as a result of spring tides. High tide is expected today at 16.45 in Richmond. There is a possibility of low-level flooding between Teddington and Putney an hour or two either side of this time. Full details on the Environment Agency website.
Key areas at risk are Putney Embankment (SW15), Chiswick Mall and Strand on the Green (W4), Thames Bank at Mortlake (SW14), Ranelagh Drive (TW1), Friars Lane and Water Lane (TW9), Riverside and The Embankment at Twickenham, and the Towpath below Teddington Lock.
It has been a relatively dry January so far and Thames Path flooding has been rare. However, the weather is likely to worsen and we may see more flooding next week.
Spring tides have nothing to do with spring! They occur twice per month. However, they are particularly strong during a full moon, which took place on January 10. The January full moon is also called the Wolf Moon.
In ancient times, it was common to track the changing seasons by following the lunar month rather than the solar year, which the 12 months in our modern calendar are based on.
For millennia, people across Europe, as well as Native American tribes, named the months after features they associated with the Northern Hemisphere seasons, and many of these names are very similar or identical.
Teddington is the last lock on the Thames as you walk downstream. It also marks the start of the tidal section of the Thames. Teddington to Putney is the last residential section before entering London on the Thames Path.
Putney also marks the start of the University Boat Race held in March each year. The race takes place upstream, finishing at Chiswick Bridge.
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