Maritime rainfall warnings and weather statements due to rain and thunderstorms

A pedestrians walks through a rainstorm Thursday, July 13, 2023 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

HALIFAX — A series of Rainfall Warnings and Special Weather Statements have been issued for the Maritimes by Environment Canada.

Rainfall warnings are in effect for most of New Brunswick. The warnings call for a period of heavy rain developing Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The warnings caution that intense downpours could cause flash flooding and localized flooding in low lying areas. The rain is forecast to ease to showers for Wednesday afternoon.

A Rainfall warning has also been issued for western mainland Nova Scotia. The warning calls for a rainfall of 30 to 70 millimetres with thunderstorms possibly bringing totals higher than 70 millimetres for some areas. Downpours are expected increasing the risk of flooding and flash flooding.

A Special Weather Statement extends across southeastern New Brunswick and eastern Nova Scotia, including Cape Breton. The statement calls for a general rain of 20 to 40 millimetres but with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

The risk of thunderstorms is highest Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning for southern New Brunswick and western mainland Nova Scotia. The risk of thunderstorms then shifts to eastern Nova Scotia, including Cape Breton, Wednesday morning through Wednesday afternoon.

Communities that have a thunderstorm move over should be aware that they could produce rain rates of 10 to 25 millimetres per hour and totals ranging 50 to 100 millimetres. Both the rate of rainfall and total amount of rain increases the risk of flooding and flash flooding.

The thunderstorms are expected to be scattered within the general area of rain, making it difficult to know if any individual communities will have a thunderstorm move directly over.

The risk of thunderstorms is generally higher tonight Wednesday morning in the southwestern corner of New Brunswick and for Halifax County down the South Shore in Nova Scotia.

A wind warning is also in effect for Inverness County – North of Mabou in Cape Breton. The warning calls for 90 kilometre per hour wind gusts from the southeast on Wednesday.

The inclement weather is being brought on by a low pressure system centred over southern Quebec, but with weather fronts extending to the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

Heavy rain in northern New Brunswick and a risk of thunderstorms for the rest of the Maritimes extends into Wednesday morning.

By mid-afternoon Wednesday, the heavy rain clears northern New Brunswick. Scattered showers with a lower risk of thunderstorms persist for the Maritimes into Wednesday evening. The last of those showers clears Cape Breton in the early morning hours of Thursday.

Updates and regional weather conditions on CTV Atlantic News Five, Six, and Late.