The River Forecast Centre has upgraded the Bulkley River to a flood watch Monday.
The watch, which means river levels are rising and will approach or may exceed bankfull, applies to tributaries around Houston, Smithers and adjacent areas including Burns Lake.
Temperatures are expected to rise or remain high with a forecast high of 23 in Smithers for Tuesday. Rivers are expected to continue a steady rise for the next two days. On Wednesday, a low pressure trough is expected to swing into British Columbia, bringing cooler temperatures but more organized rainfall.
Current hydrologic modelling from the River Forecast Centre is indicating the potential for extremely high flows later this week. The magnitude of forecasted flows in the 10-20 year range, or higher, in rivers is likely.
