Thunderstorms, heavy rain bring special weather statement to south, central Manitoba

A special weather statement is in effect for Winnipeg and all of south and central Manitoba amid heavy rains forecast on Thursday.

The storms are expected to dump anestimated 20 to 40 millimetres of rain across Winnipeg and numerous flood-affected communities from the Canada-U.S. border north into the Interlake,Environment Canada says.

A low pressure system is forecast to push northfrom the U.S. and combine with moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to produce heavyshowers and thunderstorms.

That system should move into the Red River Valley and southeast of the province late Thursday and into the evening.

Though the shower and storms are expected to pass through quickly, they could produce "torrential downpours" and some areas could get more than 50 mm by Friday morning, according to Environment Canada.

The latest forecast comes on the heels three significant spring storm systems that have caused flooding, and 20 to 40 mm of rain earlier in the week.

More than two dozen municipalities are already under local states of emergency, hundreds have been moved from their flood-threatened homes, and numerous provincial parks have had to close due to rising water levels and road washouts.

Ahead of the Thursday storm, flood warnings have been issued for portions of southwest and southeast Manitoba, the provincial hydrological forecast centre said in a statement Wednesday night.

Overland flood watchesissued earlier this week remain in effect for southern and central Manitoba, and a flood warning has been issued for Dauphin Lake.

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