DRYDEN, Ont. — Environment Canada has issued rainfall warnings for western sections of northwestern Ontario.
An area of low pressure moving into the region later Tuesday afternoon or evening is forecast to dump between 40 and 70 millimetres of rain on Kenora, Grassy Narrows, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Pickle Lake, Cat Lake, and Pikangikum as well as nearby communities.
Environment Canada says the heaviest period of rain is expected overnight Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, but lighter rain will continue through the day Wednesday.
Thunderstorms are also likely in some areas over the next two days.
Precipitation that has already fallen in western parts of the region has dropped the forest fire hazard.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reported late Tuesday morning that the fire hazard was now mostly low to moderate in those areas, but pockets of high hazard remained.
MNRF fire information officer Jonathan Scott said only 5 millimetres of rain had fallen to that point on the 72,000-hectare fire burning eight kilometers south of Keewaywin First Nation.
Scott noted that thunderstorms could still spark additional fires, especially in areas that receive smaller amounts of rain.
In the Thunder Bay area, and some areas north of Lake Superior, the hazard Tuesday morning remained high to extreme.
