Environment Canada issues rainfall warnings, special statement for Alberta and B.C.

Environment Canada issues rainfall warnings, special statement for Alberta and B.C.

Agency says water will likely pool on roads

Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings and a special weather statement for a swath of Alberta and British Columbia.

The weather agency says between 50 millimetres and 100 millimetres of rain could pour from Saturday to Wednesday, from Fort McMurray in Alberta's northeast to Lethbridge in the south.

Yellow-level warnings and special weather statements about the rain currently cover most of the province.

The agency says water will likely pool on roads and locals should look out for washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts.

The weather alerts come as Edmonton is scheduled to host a friendly soccer match between the Canadian and Uzbekistani men’s national teams on June 1 at Commonwealth Stadium.

The game will come before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to see the first-ever men’s tournament matches played on Canadian soil in Vancouver and Toronto.

Is Commonwealth Stadium ready to host Canada's World Cup warmup?

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith told her provincewide radio show on Saturday that her government is ready to help communities facing flood risk, which she says isn't at the same level as it was in 2013.

Thousands of people across southern Alberta had to leave their homes and hundreds of buildings were affected due to significant flooding that year.

In B.C., the agency says in a special weather statement that up to 80 millimetres of rainfall is expected to pour over the roughly next five days in the province's southeastern Kootenay region.

"A potent Alberta low pressure system will bring moderate to heavy rain to southeastern B.C. this weekend and into early next week," the statement issued Saturday said.

"Currently, there is still uncertainty associated with the exact track of this system, and rainfall amounts will vary greatly across southeastern B.C. … There is an elevated risk of flooding, landslides and washouts from heavy rain, and rain on snow in the mountains."

The B.C. government says in a social media post that multiple communities in the region are under an evacuation alert.

"High water levels can pose a threat to life and safety. Impacted residents must be ready to leave on short notice," the post said.

A number of rivers in the region as well as in surrounding areas are also under flood warnings and watches.