Thursday kicks off string of rainy days

Keep your rain gear handy for the next several days.

Rain started falling this morning and should generallycontinue through the day. It couldpause this afternoon but we may not get a real break from it until Saturday, even Sunday.

There are rainfall warnings across most of our region and special weather statements about rain where there isn't a warning.

Ottawa may see 25 to 50 millimetres of rain by Friday evening because of what Environment Canada calls a very slow-moving storm.

It breaks down as five millimetres today, 10 to 20 overnight and another 10 to 20 tomorrow.

The Outaouais could see 30 to 60 millimetres, with 40 of that falling by tomorrow morning.

Areas along the St. Lawrence don't have a warning (yet) but could see 40 to 60 millimetres Friday, Saturday and Sundaythere's only a 40 per cent chance of showers in Kingston today, for example.

We can expect a high of 17 C in Ottawa, but that will only add to water totals as snow melts across the region.

The combination of partially frozen and saturated soil, snowmeltand plenty of raincould lead to flooding.

• Rain, melting snow spark flood alerts across region

It will stay warm throughout this rain-laden system and sunnyweather returns for Sunday afternoon into Monday.

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