Forecast heavy rainfall may spell trouble for residents who live on the shores of rivers in southwestern Quebec.
Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning Saturday for the Montreal area, the North and South Shore and the Gatineau area. The federal agency issues the warnings when heavy rainfall is expected.
As of Sunday afternoon, the warning was downgraded to a slightly-less-menacing special weather statement for the Montreal area.
They caution that between Sunday and Monday, 25 to 45 millimetres of rain will fall in the Greater Montreal Area, depending on the region.
The Laurentians, Richelieu Valley and Gatineau areas are still under the rainfall warning, and should expect the precipitation to begin Sunday afternoon and continue overnight.
In those areas, 25 to 45 millimetres of rain is expected to fall on Sunday alone.
“Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible,” the agency warns.
Temperatures are set to rise above seasonal values in southern Quebec on Monday; the high in Montreal could reach 21 degrees.
The warm temperatures and rain will increase the melting process for snow and ice in the province’s rivers, Environment Canada warns.
But when the last of a series of low pressure systems moves out of the region, sometime at the beginning of the week, “a very sharp cold front will sweep across Quebec,” causing an eight-to-10 degree drop in temperatures.
The province’s civil security department is monitoring water levels for the Chateauguay, Yamaska, Richelieu and Assomption Rivers, among others.
Pierre Corbin, director of operations at Quebec's Hydro Meteo, said his agency is monitoring several river systems across the province.
"It's rare that you see many sectors affected like at the same time like this," Corbin said.
Some 20 businesses and 40 homes were flooded in Beauceville by the rising Chaudiere River, in the Beauce region Saturday.
Wendy Claus has lived by the Mille Iles River in Laval for 30 years.
She says this sort of spring flooding is nothing new.
“It's the first time I've ever gotten a call from the city of Laval saying, you know, prepare yourself that there's flooding in the area, but we've always had this so I'm not overly concerned,” she said.
But the Laval police say that the risk is higher than normal this year. Thick ice left behind from a long, cold winter is just starting to melt.
And then there’s the rainy forecast.
“If we get the rain that they are predicting, (water levels) will be going up for the next 24 to 48 hours, so we will have a flooding problem most definitely,” said Nathalie Lorrain of Laval police.
They’re urging residents that live near rivers to be prepared -- free sand to make sand bags will be distributed at 15 different locations across the city.
They are also asking people to make sure their sump-pumps are working.
-- with files from The Canadian Press
