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Severe weather looms

May 24, 2017 | 11:42 AM

Area residents can expect a very wet and windy 24 to 48 hours beginning later today.

A special weather statement was issued by Environment Canada on Tuesday night and warns of heavy rain and strong winds for most of central and western Saskatchewan including Meadow Lake and the Battlefords.

“Right now we have a very active and intense low pressure system crossing the Rockies,” Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said. “Over the next 24 hours [it] will move southeast into Saskatchewan and then move down to the Dakotas.”

Proctor added that heavy rains and winds reaching 90 km/h will hit the area over the next two days.

“We have a fairy extensive rainfall development just North of the Meadow Lake area up into the La Loche region,” Proctor said. “We could see between 30 and 50 millimetres of precipitation during that time frame.”

He also added with the severe thunderstorms in the forecast the amount of rainfall could reach as high as 75 millimetres.

According to Proctor, the Battlefords will not receive the substantial rainfall however strong northwesterly winds will intensify.

“The big thing for the Battlefords will likely be the winds that will spill across Alberta in behind this low pressure system,” Proctor said. “The winds will pick up from the North and northwest to probably 80 km/h (Wednesday).”

Severe thunderstorms are also expected to accompany the weather system over the next two days however Proctor said sunshine is expected to move into the area on Friday and stay in the region until Tuesday with warm temperatures in the mid-twenties.

 

roger.white@jpbg.ca

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