Watch the video above: Temperatures are expected to rise this weekend. Jennifer Palisoc reports.
TORONTO – The city’s conservation authority is warning this weekend’s warm temperatures mixed with rain could lead to flooding around the city.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) says roads and low-lying areas in the GTA could see flooding, as a weather system may bring as much as 25 mm of rain to Toronto Friday evening.
Read More: Toronto to see a January thaw this weekend
As a result, the TRCA is warning people to stay away from the banks of rivers and streams.
Ryan Ness, the chief flood duty officer for the TRCA told Global News that the rain is posing serious concerns about safety.
“Rivers and streams are going to be very dangerous this weekend: flows are going to be high, there’s still going to be ice on there, people may be tempted to walk on or near them; the water is going to be freezing, and banks are going to be slippery.
“Stay as far away from rivers and streams as possible until this is over,” Ness said.
Get breaking National news
“The warm rain melts the snow very quickly, and that adds to the runoff and that all meets the crowd down through our rivers and streams…and that will make for fast-flowing and high-water conditions over the course of the weekend.”
There is also the possibility that the warmer weather may melt the ice on the rivers and streams and cause a back-up of water, which could result in localized flooding, though the conservation authority isn’t certain that it will be warm enough to cause a major breakup of ice.
READ MORE: Will this be Canada’s coldest winter?
Ness said the TRCA will be using its network of cameras and monitoring stations around different rivers in order to keep a close eye on the waterways over the weekend.
Some of the areas of concern for the TRCA is the Don River down through Pottery Road and Bayview area as well as closer to the Don Valley Parkway, though there isn’t as much concern of a major flooding event such as the flood in July. Another location is the Old Mill on the Humber River.
There is also the concern over snow and ice blocking catch basins and causing more flooding on roadways around the city.
Trevor Tenn, manager of Road Operations for Scarborough told Global News that it’s an “all-hands-on-deck” situation this weekend.
“In anticipation of this rainfall — we were monitoring it from yesterday — today we had all hands out there checking all low-lying areas, underpasses, problem areas that we know potentially could have some flooding…We also have crews coming in early tomorrow to be ready to deal with any additional flooding or potential flooding we may get.”
He also asks that residents try to create even a small opening over catch basins near their homes.
“We do appreciate assistance from residents, especially in local roads…If it’s a little too much for them, they can contact 311 and relay that information, and we’ll have our crews go out to deal with it as best as we can.”
The coming thaw is a marked change from the extreme cold temperatures and wind chill experienced across southern Ontario earlier in the week as base temperatures dipped below –20 degrees Celsius.
For more info on Toronto weather, visit our Skytracker page.
Comments