Heavy rain has prevented Oxford rowers from going on the river as September marked the wettest month Oxford has seen since 1774. Researchers at Oxford University’s Radcliffe Meteorological Station recorded a staggering 193mm of rainfall last month, making it the second-rainiest ever recorded in Oxford.
Due to excess rainwater, the current and volume of the river frequently renders it far too dangerous for rowing expeditions; college boat club practices have increasingly had to take place inside. Last year, at Godstow rowers couldn’t row 85% of the time, whilst on the Isis rowers couldn’t 61% of the time, a Cherwell investigation found.
Annabeth Brown, a captain at New College Boat Club, told Cherwell: “we’ve had to postpone this year’s taster outings, and last year both the Novice Regatta in Michaelmas and Torpids in Hilary term were cancelled because of the rain and most training sessions being indoor on ergs.”
Cambridge University rowing, by contrast, row on the smaller and calmer River Cam. Emily Richmond, the lower captain of Cambridge’s Peterhouse College Boat Club, told Cherwell: “we have all been allowed to go on the river this year, and as far as I know there haven’t been any red or yellow flags on the Cam.”
While at Oxford, Brown said that “the Blues teams have had to do a huge amount of travelling just to try to get enough time on the water” with countless hours commuting to a safe river. College boat clubs also cannot afford journeys to and from calmer rivers, and thus miss out on rowing time, she said.
The rainfall, which is 374% the average for September, amounted to the highest two-day total in the meteorological station’s history. Radcliffe Meteorological Observer, Charlie Knight, said in an Oxford University release that the “exceptional amount of rainfall” is made all the more concerning “given that September is typically not a very wet month”. Two of the five wettest months recorded in Oxford since 1767 have been recorded in the last five years.
Countless areas faced flooding as a result of the heavy rainfall. Oxford is uniquely vulnerable to shifts in climate and weather partly because of its situation in historical marshlands and floodplains. Freak rainstorms, exacerbated by climate change, have already begun to take a toll on student life and traditions, as well as shifting the geography of the city itself. In January 2024, Oxford City Council released a statement warning people against walking along towpaths by the river, as the exceptional rainfall rendered sheer proximity to Oxford’s rivers a “serious risk to life”.
Rowing is central to student life for many Oxford students and the flooding issues, coupled with issues with E. coli, have kept students away. Brown told Cherwell: “not being able to get on the water regularly means rowers can’t work on their technique at an individual level, and also can’t get to know their teammates… and learn how they work together as a crew.”
