Get out your umbrellas: Rainy remains of Hurricane Patricia heading here

Rain is expected to become “heavy at times”, says Environment Canada, warning rainfall between 25 mm to 40 mm can be expected in most areas.

Make sure your sump pump is working.

The former Category 5 hurricane – the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere – slammed into the Pacific coast of Mexico on October 23, but weakened significantly once it made landfall.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for most of southwestern Ontario, including here in Waterloo Region.

You can also expect winds reaching 70 km-h, which could be even stronger near the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The storm will continue to march into central and eastern Ontario throughout the day Wednesday.

A few regions close to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario shorelines, could see rainfall approaching Environment Canada’s rainfall warning criterion of 50 mm within 24 hours.

Residents should also take action to prevent flooding at their homes and businesses, and keep loose items from flying away in the gusty wind.

As for Wednesday, Taylor said the wind speed will be 50 km/h but higher gusts are expected. Hazards may include power outages due to heavy downpours causing tree limbs to fall on power lines. Lower Trent Conservation advises municipalities and the public that a low pressure system associated with the remnants of Hurricane Patricia will move into the region this evening.

Heagy said though the weekend’s heavy rain will help October’s levels, levels will still be in a long-term deficit.

And as we wait for the storm to hit the Golden Horseshoe, the city of Hamilton and the Hamilton Conservation Authority say flooding will be a possibility over the next few days. Rainfall amounts of between 30 to 50 mm are expected with an additional 10 to 20 mm in isolated areas.

Friday, a high of 9 C and a low of 4 C is expected, with a mix of sun and cloud.