Special weather statement in effect for:

•Central Okanagan – including Kelowna
•North Okanagan – including Vernon
•South Okanagan – including Penticton

Powerful storm to hit on Thursday and Friday.

A series of storms is set to hit British Columbia over the next few days.

The first storm will move through the British Columbia Interior tonight.

A second, more powerful storm, will hit the British Columbia Interior on Thursday and Friday. The storm will produce strong winds and heavy rain.

Timeline for the Thursday and Friday’s powerful storm:

Southern interior including Kelowna, Kamloops, and Lytton: the strong winds will begin Thursday afternoon and continue Friday. Rain showers with light to moderate amounts are expected.

Kootenays and Columbias including Castlegar and Revelstoke: the strong winds will begin Thursday evening and continue Friday. Heavy rain will also accompany the storm beginning overnight Thursday and continuing Friday.

There remains a fair bit of uncertainty as to the timing of the storms’s exit into Washington state. The storm could linger over the southern part of the province all day Friday, bringing copious amounts of precipitation.

The public is advised to monitor future forecasts and warnings as warnings may be required or extended.

Please monitor the latest forecasts and warnings from Environment Canada at www.weather.gc.ca.