Fall storm to bring strong winds, heavy rain to Ottawa Monday

A powerful storm system moving over the eastern United States is expected to continue moving north and bring torrential rain and strong wind gusts through Ottawa overnight. 

Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning Sunday afternoon that said the "intense" storm will dump between 50 and 100 millimetres of rain over the Ottawa area by mid-day Monday. 

People can also expect to wake up to wind gusts between 70 and 90 km/h Monday morning. 

The weather agency said the winds could be strong enough to break tree branches and cause power outages. The winds will die out by the evening. 

Potential for flooding

Patrick Larson, a water resources technician with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, said some areas in the Long Reach area near Manotick could experience flooding.

"It's relatively flat and relatively low-lying. So there are some locations there that are affected first in a flood situation... A few of the access roads could be threatened," Larson said Sunday.

But after a dry fall, most river levels are lower than normal and can absorb most of the rain, he said.

"We've had a very dry September and October. This is the first significant rain we've had in that two-month period."