Environment Canada is warning residents of parts of British Columbia's southern Interior of possible heavy rain and thunderstorms as flood risks rise in the region.
The weather agency says areas in the East Kootenays could see overall rainfall of up to 40 millimetres that lasts through the afternoon.
Environment Canada says the precipitation could create localized flooding as well as landslides in areas with vulnerable landscapes such as those burned by past wildfires.
The agency previously warned that heavy rain along with "heavy showers with embedded thunderstorms" could be possible in the Fraser Canyon, the Okanagan, Kamloops and parts of the Shuswap, but that advisory has since been lifted.
In its place, a severe thunderstorm watch has been placed in the Lower Nicola region stretching from Sicamous and Salmon Arm through Kamloops and Merritt into the Fraser Canyon, with Environment Canada warning of possible strong gusts and large hail along with rain and lightning.
The same weather system was also forecasted to bring possible wet snow over higher elevations on the Coquihalla, Okanagan Connector and Highway 3, but most such warnings have since been lifted.
B.C.'s River Forecast Centre has placed some southeastern parts of the province along the Alberta border, including Cranbrook, Invermere and Golden, under a flood watch.
The Okanagan, Shuswap and Kamloops, meanwhile, are under a high streamflow advisory, with a possible rapid rise to river levels and minor flooding of low-lying areas.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
