Most of BC’s Southern Interior is under a high streamflow advisory as heavy rains pass across the region.

On Tuesday, Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for Hwy 3 between Hope and Princeton and for the Coquihalla.

As of Wednesday morning, those warnings remain in effect with new warnings issued for the Fraser Valley, which is expected to see 90-130 mm of rain, and for the entire Kootenays region, which could see 40-60 mm of rain on Wednesday.

Also on Tuesday, BC’s River Forecast Centre issued high stream flow advisories for rivers near Merritt and Princeton in addition to a flood watch for the Fraser Valley.

On Wednesday, the centre upgraded the Fraser Valley, including the Sumas River and Chilliwack River, to a flood warning.

That means river levels have exceeded bankfull or will exceed bankfull imminently, and that flooding of areas adjacent to the rivers affected will result.

“A series of atmospheric rivers is impacting British Columbia through this week. The heaviest rainfall is focused on coastal areas, however spillover of rainfall into the interior ranges of the South Interior and south-east BC is possible,” the forecast centre said.

The high streamflow advisory for the Tulameen and Coldwater rivers, plus tributaries on the central and south coast, remains in effect.

The River Forecast Centre has also issued an advisory for South Interior, Boundary, west Kootenays and east Kootenays.

That means rivers are rising or expected to rise rapidly, but no major flooding is expected. Some minor flooding in low-lying areas is possible, however.

Included in that advisory are Kelowna, Kamloops, Princeton, Penticton, the Shuswap, Revelstoke and as far east as Golden.

“Rivers are expected to rise on Wednesday in response to rainfall and snowmelt. Currenthydrologic modelling is forecasting higher flows around the Okanagan, Boundary and Kootenay Region,” the centre said.

“Significant flood hazard is not expected, however localized high flows, particularly in lower elevation creeks and smaller watersheds is possible.”

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