Metro Montreal region under a Level 3 Flood Watch

Water levels along the Ottawa River on Ile Perrot are on the rise Thursday afternoon, in response to a wet April to date, as well recent ice and snowmelt across the region. A flood watch remains in effect for Montreal. (Valley Weather Photo)

"We have just come up to Level 3, which is the highest level of emergency the city can bring it up to" Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada.

A Level 3 Flood Watch is now in effect for Montreal - allowing for the mobilization of personnel, material and resources in the event of flooding.

Municipalities across the Island of Montreal, Laval and up and down the Ottawa River Valley are in flood watch, as waters levels continue to rise. Many parts of eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec have had a very wet spring to date, with rainfall closing in on 75mm at Trudeau Airport since April 1. At this time the St. Lawrence River and Lac St. Louis are stable and below flood stage.

Municipalities like Senneville and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue on the western tip of the island are in flood watch mode as water levels continue to rise along Lake of Two Mountains. Pierrefonds as well as parts of Laval are also watching water levels rise. (Valley Weather Photo)

The gauges on Lake of Two Mountains at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Terasse Vaudreuil are at 23.50 metres, or about 200mm (8 inches) above minor flood stage. Water levels have stabilized at both locations for today but are expected to rise slowly in the coming days in response to higher water levels upstream. Pointe Calumet is at 23.58 metres and rising. Minor flooding has been observed.

Montreal and the Burroughs will be monitoring the levels 24/7 at the cities emergency operations centre for the near term, ready to provide assistance as needed.

As far as the forecast goes, the city remains under a special weather statement for the potential of more heavy showers through Sunday. Rainfall amounts of 15-25mm are possible. The good news is that Saturday looks dry now, and cooler, drier weather next week may slow down runoff and water levels.

Across the province, 12 rivers are in minor flood stage, while 17 more are on the rise, and being monitored. Vigilance will be important over the next week as water levels fluctuate. At this time, we are not expecting to reach the record levels and subsequent flooding that occurred in both 2017 and 2019.

A strong cold front will push across southern Quebec on Saturday night accompanied by showers and maybe even a rumble of thunder. Sunday looks much colder, with temperatures falling from highs in the low 20s (70F) Saturday, down to 5C (41F) Sunday. Montreal will likely drop below freezing into Monday morning, -3C (27F), and I can't rule out a stray snowflake or two.