First atmospheric river of fall season brings heavy rains on B.C. election day

Environment Canada is ramping up rainfall warnings in British Columbia, where Vancouver Island, Metro Vancouver and the coastal regions of the province are bracing for major downpours through the weekend.

The first atmospheric river of the season is expected to bring up to 120 millimetres of rain to west and inland Vancouver Island on Saturday — the day on which the province's residents cast their ballots in a provincial election — and into Sunday.

RCMP in Langley issued a warning about a possible sinkhole in that community, saying heavy rain had compromised the roadway's stability and the section has been closed.

BC Hydro's outage map, meanwhile, showed numerous local outages caused by downed lines or trees on power lines, affecting anywhere between six and a few dozen customers each along the east coast of Vancouver Island and the Metro Vancouver area.

Environment Canada warns 150 millimetres of rain is expected near Vancouver Island's coast and more than 250 millimetres are forecast over mountainous terrain.

It says Metro Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky corridor may get up to 150 millimetres of rain, with precipitation amounts exceeding 180 millimetres expected over the North Shore Mountains.

The atmospheric river will also roll over B.C.'s southern Interior, with prolonged periods of heavy rain expected to persist through Sunday.

The expected rain has prompted flood watches by the River Forecast Centre for several rivers along the central and south coasts, Lower Fraser tributaries, waterways in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.

BC Ferries warned Saturday that high winds in the forecast could affect service on the North Strait of Georgia and North Vancouver Island, while DriveBC reported there have been a number of highway closures due to washouts or flooding.

Environment Canada is also maintaining snow warnings along Watson Lake, Fort Nelson and Cassiar Mountains, forecasting between 15 to 25 centimetres of snow in some areas.

The agency says rapidly accumulating snow may make it difficult to drive and is asking travellers to be cautious while on the roads.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2024.