Heavy rain this weekend could lead to flooding in the London area, according to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement, saying the London area could see roughly 50 mm of rain this weekend, and the UTRCA said people should be aware of what this will do to water levels in area rivers and waterways.
"Ground conditions are generally wet and/or frozen. With the lower forecast amounts, streams and rivers will be out of bank in some areas, and inundating low lying flood plains," the conservation authority said. "Should the higher precipitation forecast materialize, more significant flooding could occur."
The UTRCA said that it's unlikely water levels will reach the heights they did in February of 2018, when rain and warm temperatures caused flooding across southwestern Ontario, mainly because there has been relatively little snowfall recently. The conservation authority said any flooding will be mainly driven by rain, not melting snow. It's expected waterways in London will peak during the day and into the evening on Sunday. Water levels will remain higher than normal well into next week, making river and creek banks dangerous.
"The public is encouraged to exercise extreme caution around all local waterways," the conservation authority said. "Banks adjacent to rivers and creeks are very slippery and, when combined with cold, fast-moving water, pose a serious hazard. Parents are encouraged to keep their children and pets away from all watercourses."
The UTRCA said flood control reservoirs at Fanshawe, Wildwood and Pittock Conservation Areas are at seasonal levels and will be used to reduce downstream flooding.
