The Essex Region Conservation Authority has issued a flood warning for the Municipality of Leamington.
The conservation authority said areas along the shoreline of Lake Erie between Wheatley Harbour and Point Pelee National Park will be affected the most.
Sustained winds in the range of 30 km/h out of the southeast are causing flooding in the southeast Leamington area. Water has already approached the centerline of the roadway along a portion of Cotterie Park Road. This is expected to continue throughout the afternoon and potentially into the evening.
Forecasts are showing an increase in wind speed and a shift from a southeast wind to a south wind, and an eventual southwest wind by Friday morning. These conditions bring an elevated risk of flooding, damaging waves, and nearshore erosion for the Lake Erie shoreline, including Pelee Island, and in the Municipalities of Amherstburg, Essex, Kingsville, Leamington, and the Township of Pelee.
The warning will remain in effect until at least noon on Friday. However, with rain and continued strong winds in the forecast, a flood watch will remain in effect throughout the weekend.
Wind speeds could increase over the weekend with winds coming from various directions between southwest and eat northeast.
Significant rainfall in the range of 30 millimetres to 65 millimetres is expected in some parts of the region over the weekend. ERCA said due to colder temperatures over the last few days the upper levels of the ground may be frozen which could cause an increased amount of runoff. There could also be ice in some of the drains which could reduce their capacity.