Heavy, soaking rains will soon put an end to the spectacular late summer weather that has graced much of Atlantic Canada this week.
A soggy system will develop to the southwest of the region over the Atlantic Ocean, and then track towards the Maritimes by Friday night. The stalling nature of the system could bring soaking rains to the area, especially parts of eastern Nova Scotia.
September Outlook: Summer isn’t done with Canada just yet
While the Maritimes will pick up the heaviest of the rainfall, a second wave of moisture crosses the Avalon Peninsula through the second half of the weekend and into early next week.
In some of the hardest-hit parts of Nova Scotia, more than 75 mm may fall, increasing the risk for localized flooding and deteriorating travel conditions. Be sure to remain alert and check the warnings in your area as the rainfall begins.
An area of showers and thunderstorms associated with a subtropical low just east of North Carolina will track northeastward to bring heavy rainfall into the Maritimes this weekend. There will be two main waves of moisture associated with this system.
The heaviest rain will fall across the Maritimes from Friday night through Saturday.
Intense rainfall rates along the Atlantic coast, including Halifax and Truro, will be 5-10 mm/h, while rainfall rates of 5 mm/h hit sections of southern New Brunswick.
The second wave of moisture will be less impactful and not as widespread, though an area of heavy rain will continue to hit southern New Brunswick into Sunday, while scattered showers fall across the rest of the Maritimes. In all, a widespread 20-30 mm of rain is likely, with some of the harder-hit areas possibly reaching between 50-75 mm.
There is still some uncertainty with the track of the system and just how far into southern New Brunswick the rainfall spreads, with more confidence for the heaviest rain falling across southern and eastern Nova Scotia. It will come down to how far inland the low pulls the moisture as it tracks over the Maritimes.
Regardless, many areas face a risk of flooding with heavy rain falling in a short period of time.
The rain will clear the Maritimes by Monday.
Be sure to check back for the latest updates across Atlantic Canada this weekend.
