Dry, sunny weather helping flood-fighters in Manitoba

WINNIPEG – The province of Manitoba says after several rain-free days, the Assiniboine River is near its peak in western regions and will start dropping in the coming days.

The government is also releasing less water than expected in a deliberate dike-break near the community of Hoop and Holler Bend.

Officials say, barring any emergencies, the maximum flow from the dike break will be about one-third what they predicted last week.

The water is spreading so slowly, it had only covered 2.1 square kilometres as of late yesterday.

Three homes have been surrounded by low-lying water, but none have been flooded.

Despite the good news, officials warn there could still be trouble in the weeks to come.

One of the biggest concerns is along the shores of Lake Manitoba.

Water on the lake is near record levels and any windstorms over the next few weeks could push waves up onto hundreds of cottage properties.

Infrastructure Minister Steve Ashton says levels on the lake will remain high until at least mid-June.