Northwestern Manitoba under flood warning as water to gush in from Saskatchewan

People living along the Churchill River are being alerted about possible flooding as waters from Saskatchewan rush into northern Manitoba.

Manitoba's hydrological forecast centre issued a flood warning Thursday afternoon for the northwest of the province.

Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, Leaf Rapids and Granville Lake are being told to prepare for rising water levels.

Record high flows have been recorded in reservoirs along the Churchill River in Saskatchewan, which will have a ripple effect in Manitoba.

Pukatawagan Lake, where Mathias Colomb is located, could rise by more than two metres by next week.

It's expected to see a surge in the next three to five days, with levels peaking between Tuesday and Friday next week. 

Leaf Rapids could see its surface levels rise in two weeks. On the high end, the province estimates levels could go up by more than three metres and peak near the end of the month or early August.

Meanwhile, Granville Lake could rise between 2½ and three metres or so, the province said. That's forecast to occur between late in the last week of July and the first week of August.

Flood conditions persist in southwestern Manitoba

Recent precipitation in the south of the province, as well as in the Red River basin in the northern U.S., has contributed to increased river and creek levels.

Western and southwestern Manitoba are still experiencing flood conditions after a record-high 200 millimetres of rain late last month and early in July.

Levels at the Rivers Dam on the Little Saskatchewan River have gone down after a stretch of no significant rainfall there lately, the province said. Levels there are now nearer to the 2014 flood event.

Provincial crews are currently assessing the damage and reviewing the condition of the dam in Rivers, Man.

There were concerns it could fail at the height of the recent flood there, when dozens of locals were forced from their home as a precaution.