The Hydrologic Forecast Centre of Manitoba Infrastructure has issued a precautionary overland flood warning, the province said in a release Friday.
According to the forecast, areas such as Brandon, Melita and Virden, along with parts of central Manitoba and the Interlake regions, could get in the range of 100 to 150 millimetres of rain in the next five days that could lead to overland flooding.
Residents in these areas are advised to pay attention to sudden rising water levels in small creeks and urban drainage ditches.
The province advises that this amount of rainfall in such a short duration could create overland and flash flooding, even if the soil moisture is drier than normal.
Overland flooding typically occurs in low-lying farmland that is next to rivers and streams.
Flows on main stems of major rivers (including the Red and Assiniboine rivers) will increase. However, flows will remain within the banks along main rivers.
Flash flooding can also lead to streets being flooded in urban areas if the local drainage system is not able to handle high-intensity rain events, which could lead to strong currents around street drains.
Additionally, there is potential for severe thunderstorms in these areas on either Saturday or Monday. These storms could bring along 100 millimetres of rain in a very short time. The exact location for these storms is not yet known.
Impacts of the forecast precipitation depend on the amount, location and intensity of the event.