Flood watch issued despite dry conditions

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/05/2025 (374 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province has issued a flood watch for parts of southwestern Manitoba.

The areas include lands south of the Trans-Canada Highway between Brandon and Virden and communities west of Highway 10, including Souris, Melita and Boissevain.

A weather system could bring more than 80 millimetres of rain to the areas between Wednesday and Friday, the province said in a news release.

Heavy rainfall over a short period might create high surface runoff. That could lead to overland flooding, regardless of the current moisture condition of the soil. Burn bans are in effect in some of the areas.

Other regions of Manitoba, including the southern, central and northern regions, could get 20 mm to 70 mm of rain.

The weather system is expected to bring high winds from Thursday afternoon until Friday evening. That might result in high-wind effects along the south basin of Lake Manitoba, as well as on Lake Winnipeg shorelines near Gimli on the west side and at Victoria Beach on the east side.

North winds gusting up to 80 km/h and the resulting waves could increase water levels by as much as five feet or more, the province said.