More flood warnings, evacuation orders for B.C. Interior

It may be a new month, but flooding in B.C.'s southern Interior continues to be front of mind for many communities. 

An evacuation order issued Thursday was expanded later in the day to include more homes in the Slocan Valley due to rising levels in the Slocan River.

A full list of the affected properties can be found here. 

And in the Okanagan, overnight thunderstorms brought Okanagan Lake to 343.17 metres, two centimetres higher than the day before, and also caused an evacuation order for five waterfront properties in the Killiney Beach area south of Vernon:

• 9415 Hodges Road.
• 9425 Hodges Road.
• 9435 Hodges Road.
• 9445 Hodges Road.
• 9467 Kilkenny Place.

In Kelowna, high waters have already begun lapping across Water Street, near the downtown core. 

Okanagan Lake has reached more than 17 centimetres above readings set in 1948, when the flooding benchmark was last set.

The Central Okanagan Regional District has said the lake could climb a further 10 centimetres before peaking in about two weeks, while the district says Mission Creek through downtown Kelowna is also forecast to keep rising until mid-June.

Snowy winter followed by warm spring

The River Forecast Centre is also expanding its warnings of potential flooding for several other British Columbia waterways.

The centre has now posted flood watches for the North and South Thompson rivers and the Thompson River through Kamloops, along with the Shuswap and Eagle rivers, while flood watches remain up for the Kettle, Granby and Salmon rivers.

The forecast centre says rapid snow melt caused by recent hot weather has also prompted a high streamflow advisory for southern sections of the Fraser River, with a rapid rise near Hope by Saturday.

• Flood fatigue sets in as Okanagan lakes and rivers continue to rise
• Kelowna takes stock of water levels after thunderstorm hits
• Flood prep 101: how to protect your home and belongings

With files from CBC News