Flood forecast centre issues warning for parts of Manitoba as heavy rain follows drought

The province's flood forecast centre issued a precautionary overland flood warning for parts of southern and central Manitoba on Friday.

"Rivers and creeks in Brandon, Melita, Virden and the Interlake region, including the Fisher and Icelandic rivers, could be affected by overland flooding," the provincial government said in a news release.

Environment Canadaissued rainfall warnings in the province's southwest corner Friday morning, and extended the warnings to include the province's southeastern corner later in the day.

Heavy rains in southwestern Manitoba are expected to last until at least tomorrow, Environment Canada says.

A low-pressure system from the United States is moving into southern Manitoba.

The low-pressure system is bringing high moisture and unstable air that's causingcontinuous showers, with some thunderstorms.

Environment Canada issued rainfall warnings for several regions in southwestern Manitoba. As of Friday afternoon, the warnings covered these regions:

• Brandon, Neepawa, Carberry andTreherne.
• Killarney, Pilot Mound andManitou.
• Melita, Boissevain andTurtle Mountain Provincial Park.
• Minnedosa andRiding Mountain National Park.
• Virden andSouris.
• Whiteshell, Lac du Bonnet andPinawa.
• Bissett, Victoria Beach, NopimingProvincialPark andPine Falls.
• Sprague and Northwest Angle Provincial Forest.
• Steinbach,St. Adolphe, Emerson,Vita andRicher.
• Dugald,Beausejourand Grand Beach.

Up to 75 millimetres of rain could fall by Saturday morning in southwestern Manitoba, while regions in the southeast could see between 60 to 90 millimetres, Environment Canada forecast.

Many other parts of southern Manitoba are also getting rain, after experiencing one of the driest Julyson record.

In Brandon, for example, the average rainfall in July is about 67 millimetres, and last month the western Manitoba city got30 mm.

"So just based off the last month and a bit, we might be able to make up that deficit rather quickly," Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Justin Shelley said.

Areas near Brandon, Melita and Virden and parts of central Manitoba and the Interlake regioncould get 100 to 150 mm of rain in the next three to five days, Manitoba's Hydrologic Forecast Centre said.

Rainfall in excess of 130 millimetres (five inches) over a short time period could create overland flooding and flash flooding, even if the soil is drier than normal, the centresaid.

The rain might come too late to help farmers whose crops have withered in the dry heat, Shelley said.

"Other areas of the Prairies are already beginning harvesting at this time, and the heavy rainfall could actually negatively affect those areas that are actively harvesting," he said.

"We would have liked to see this sort of rainfall maybe a month or so ago to have a good impact on the crops."

Winnipeg can expect 10 to 20 mm of rain, with some thunderstorms. There's a risk of thunderstorms this evening as well, and 20 to 30 mm of rain.