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Special weather statement for 20 to 40 millimetres of rain in the Okanagan

Click to play video: 'Okanagan flooding potential with heavy rain and rapid snow melt'
Okanagan flooding potential with heavy rain and rapid snow melt
WATCH ABOVE: Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Okanagan for heavy rain and a rapid snow melt bringing flooding to the region – May 24, 2018

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Central, North and South Okanagan as well as the Boundary and Arrow Lakes regions for showers and thunderstorms impacting areas affected by overland flooding.

Total rainfall amounts will be in the 20 to 40 mm range by late Friday.

The threat of thunderstorms with brief, heavy downpours will begin in the Kootenays on Wednesday with rainfall rates possibly reaching 15 millimetres in an hour.

A flood watch remains in effect for the Okanagan, including Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Oliver and Mission Creek and all of its tributaries.

Flood watches are issued by the BC River Foreast Centre for rising river levels that may burst their banks and cause flooding.

Showers will spread west into the Okanagan Valley Thursday afternoon with embedded thunderstorms and the continued risk of heavy downpours possible.

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Temperatures will remain cooler for the remainder of the week, but are set to spike back into the mid-to-upper 20s into the long weekend with an extensive snowpack still in the mountains.

For the latest weather alerts download the Global News SkyTracker Weather App for iPhone, iPad or Android.

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