York’s river level is rising fast following the rain of the last few days.
And that may have caught some boat owners unawares, one riverside resident said this morning (Monday).
Michael Neal has spotted some boats that aren’t tied securely enough to cope with the surge, including the one in the picture.
According to the Viking Recorder, the River Ouse in the city centre has risen from by nearly 1.4 metres in 24 hours – reaching a level of 1.69m at 7.30am today.
There are no flood warnings or alerts issued yet – the advice is: “Flooding is possible – be prepared”.
But the river is forecast to rise to 3.58m in the next 24 hours, well above the flooding level.
There is a lot of rain in the York weather forecast this week.
Michael Neal, who lives by the river, says the imminent risk is to some of the boats moored in the city centre.
The owner of the canoe in the picture had just arrived in time to make it secure, but others could be at equal risk said Michael.
“Boats by the museum gardens are caught regularly because of the low rope positions on the towpath there.”
He said owners need to act quickly to make sure their boats are secure.