Special weather statement issued for Hamilton as remnants of tropical storm Debby hit eastern Ontario

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Hamilton warning to expect heavy rain from this evening through Friday.

The statement, issued on Thursdayat 10:46 a.m.,says alow pressure system is expected to deliverheavy rainfall in parts of southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe. The statement says to expect rainfall amounts of 25 to 50 millimetres.

Environment Canada meteorologist Steven Flisfedersaid the weather statement for the Golden Horseshoe isn't directly linked to the remnants of tropical storm Debby, which made second landfall in South Carolina.

However,Flisfedersaid the moisture from Debby willmerge withan "upper-level atmospheric feature" that is coming from the upper Great Lakes over southwestern Ontario.

"It's going to give a period of high rainfall rates and heavy downpours across the Golden Horseshoe," he said.

Flisfeder said the rainfall amounts could be updated as it starts to rain.

Environment Canada has also issuedrainfall warnings for eastern Ontario and western Quebec starting Thursday night, with rainfall amounts of 50 to 75 millimetres being expected across the region. The warningsays the rain will becaused by a low pressure system interacting with the remnants of tropical storm Debby.

Debby madesecond landfall in South Carolina after it first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The storm has killed at least six people.

The storm is expected to keep moving inland, spreading heavy rain and possible flooding all the way up through the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast by the weekend.

Last month, the remnants ofHurricane Beryl brought heavy rainfall to Hamilton and surrounding areas.

Flisfedersaid Beryl's track wasmore directly over southern Ontario, which felt "almost the full potential impact of Berylitself as it was making its way across the region."

As Debby's track is further east,Flisfedersaidthere isless potential for high rainfall amounts.But because of the storm interactingwith the feature coming off the Great Lakes, he said there is still the potential for higher impacts with heavier rainfall amounts.