Flood warnings issued for B.C. rivers amid heavy rain, melting snow
The BC River Forecast Centre has issued flood warnings for three rivers in the province's Southern Interior as an atmospheric river continues to bring heavy rain to much of B.C.
The Coquihalla, Tulameen and Coldwater rivers have all "risen rapidly" on Sunday, according to the forecast centre.
Flows on the Tulameen and Coldwater rivers have been observed at "between a 20-year and 50-year return period" at some monitoring stations, the centre said.
On the Coquihalla River, the volume has reached approximately a 10-year flow.
"Temperatures have been rising, with temperatures in the 5 to 7C range being observed at automated snow weather stations across the region," the centre said in its statement.
"Snowmelt is being observed at mid-elevations and is expected to add additional runoff to rivers."
Flood watches were already in place for the Fraser River and its tributaries in the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon regions, as well as for the Chilliwack River in the Fraser Valley and the Englishman River on Vancouver Island.
Flood watches are issued when "river levels are rising and will approach or may exceed bankfull," and flood warnings are issued when levels "have exceeded bankfull" or will do so "imminently."
"The public is advised to stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks during the high-streamflow period," the forecast centre said.
The centre said rivers are expected to continue rising through Sunday as a result of the continued rainfall, before easing on Monday as the heaviest rain passes.
Much of the Lower Mainland and the Southern Interior is under rainfall warnings Sunday. By the time the storm ends on Monday, rainfall totals are expected to range from 100 to 150 millimetres across different parts of the Fraser Valley, according to Environment Canada.
However, as the rain dissipates, the wind could pick up across the South Coast.
"We have winds coming down both the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Strait of Georgia," said Philippe-Alain Bergeron, an Environment Canada meteorologist. "We’ve got westerly winds anywhere from 40 to 60 kilometres an hour for (Monday) afternoon."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.