More B.C. rivers edge toward flood stage as water levels continue to surge

VANCOUVER – The River Forecast Centre is expanding its warnings of potential flooding for several other British Columbia waterways and more thunderstorms are forecast for the area hardest hit.

Flood watches have now been posted for the North and South Thompson rivers and the Thompson River through Kamloops, along with the Shuswap and Eagle rivers, while flood watches remain up for the Slocan, Kettle, Granby and Salmon rivers.

Adding to the problems, a severe thunderstorm warning has been posted by Environment Canada for the Boundary region and a thunderstorm watch is in place for the Okanagan Valley.

The forecast centre says rapid snowmelt caused by recent hot weather has prompted a high streamflow advisory for southern sections of the Fraser River, with a rapid rise near Hope by Saturday.

In Kelowna, high waters have already begun lapping across Water Street, near the downtown core, as Okanagan Lake climbs more than 17 centimetres above readings set in 1948, when the flooding benchmark was last set.

The Central Okanagan Regional District has said the lake could climb a further 10 centimetres before peaking in about two weeks, while the district says levels of Mission Creek through downtown Kelowna are also forecast to keep rising until mid-June.