Flow instability in continuous thin slab casting moulds has been studied using a full scale water model with particle image visualization. The results show that jet impinging depth, circumfluence centre position and wave height are unsteady and periodical. The probabilities of jet impinging depth and circumfluence centre position seem to be Poisson distributions with the highest frequency near the average position. The flow pattern is asymmetrical for a short time and the phase difference of jet impinging depth, circumfluence centre position and wave height on the two sides of the mould centreline is half a period. The average jet impinging depth, average circumfluence centre position, average meniscus wave profile and the highest and lowest meniscus positions are generally symmetrical to the mould centreline.