Seine River Water Levels Outlook, Week of August 18, 2025

Navigation on the Seine between Paris and Normandy looks normal this week, with no widespread constraints reported. The lower river is engineered for commercial traffic, including a dredged channel that accommodates drafts to about 13.1 ft (4.00 m) below Gennevilliers, plus generous bridge clearances, which together limit low-water disruptions. ¹ Any brief upticks from passing showers should be short-lived on the main stem.

A weakening heat pattern gives way to clouds and a few showers across northern France, but no prolonged heavy-rain signal is evident for the Paris to Rouen corridor. ⁵ Based on current guidance, we expect steady gauges and routine operations.

Travelers should still monitor pre-departure emails, confirm Paris docking notes if water rises under bridges, and keep travel insurance timing in mind. Your advisor can coordinate alternatives if a late operational change appears.

Current Conditions

Primary gauge: Paris Austerlitz (station F700000103). ² 3.3 ft (1.02 m), normal range data unavailable. Risk level Normal given a stable level and no flood forecast posted at the Paris station. ³

Seven-Day Outlook

Forecasts for the Paris to Rouen stretch call for mostly clouds with a few showers midweek. Seven-day rainfall totals look light, generally under 0.25 in (6 mm) for the corridor. ⁴ A flat gauge trend is favored, so the call is Normal for the next 7 days. ⁵

Three-Week Risk Forecast

A post-heatwave, Atlantic-westerly pattern favors passing fronts and occasional showers in northern France without signals for prolonged high or low water on the main Seine. For Cancel For Any Reason, note purchase windows and coverage limits in your policy documents. ⁶

Cruise-Line Responses

Data unavailable.

Traveler Advice

If you are already booked to sail Paris to Normandy in the next two weeks, plan on normal operations. Keep an eye on your line's app or emails 48 to 72 hours before embarkation, and ask your advisor about any Paris bridge-clearance notes if showers briefly raise water under inner-city bridges.

If you are shopping for near-term dates, this is a good window. Look for itineraries that include Vernon, Les Andelys, and Rouen, and choose flexible fares or insurance that allows itinerary tweaks without large penalties. Light rainfall totals, on the order of a few tenths of an inch, should not affect docking along the main stem. ⁴

For trips more than three weeks out, keep monitoring but do not change plans based on today's outlook. The Seine is a managed waterway with robust margins for navigation, so routine summer variability rarely causes major itinerary swaps. ¹

Methodology

We combine official French gauge networks and station fiches, public forecast pages for the Paris-Normandy corridor, and internal navigation thresholds, converting meters to feet using the international foot, 1 ft = 0.3048 m. ^7,8

Disclaimer

Forecasts beyond ten days are probabilistic and may change without notice. This information does not constitute financial or insurance advice.

Sources

1. French Waterways, Lower Seine navigation guide, dredge depth and bridge headroom
2. Hydro Eaufrance station fiche, Seine at Paris Austerlitz, F700000103
3. Sentival, Paris Austerlitz live Vigicrues feed, latest level and forecast status
4. Timeanddate, Rouen 14-day forecast with daily precipitation amounts
5. The Connexion, weekly France weather, Aug 18-22, heat eases and storms follow
6. Météo-France, Paris vigilance page for weather and flood watches
7. Vigicrues annual vigilance report, network and methodology
8. NIST HB 44 Appendix C, exact meter-foot conversion (1 ft = 0.3048 m)