Heavy downpours have already moved through parts of Nova Scotia, but more rain is expected before the system clears.
Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard says the southern half of the province saw some of the heaviest showers.
He says a few locations recorded rainfall rates of 20 to 25 millimetres in just one hour.
Hubbard says the heaviest band has weakened and pushed toward eastern Nova Scotia, but rainfall warnings and special weather statements remain in place for parts of the province.
More showers are expected through the day, overnight and into Thursday morning.
Some areas could still see heavier downpours, especially if embedded thundershowers develop.
Hubbard says the heaviest rain of the day has likely already passed for many areas, but the system is not done yet.
Rain helps after dry stretch
The rain comes after a dry stretch through much of July.
Hubbard says many parts of Nova Scotia were well below normal for the month before this system moved in.
He says some areas had seen less than half of their normal July rainfall, though Yarmouth was already above normal and Sydney was close to normal.
The latest rain should help bring totals closer to average.
In Greenwood, Hubbard says only about 20 millimetres had been recorded before this event, compared with a normal July total of about 75 millimetres.
At Halifax Stanfield, the normal July rainfall is about 86.7 millimetres, while the airport had recorded 38 millimetres before the latest rain.
Lightning risk continues
Hubbard says lightning was reported in the Yarmouth and Shelburne areas, with some strikes possibly in Lunenburg County as well.
He says the risk of thundershowers continues today and tonight, especially along the Atlantic coast where some of the heaviest rainfall is expected.
Not like 2023 flood event
Hubbard says this system is not expected to be anything like the major rainfall event that hit Nova Scotia three years ago.
That storm brought between 150 and 300 millimetres of rain to some locations and caused severe flooding.
Hubbard says this event is expected to bring much lower totals, with the highest amounts likely around 60 millimetres.
He says the rain is also falling over a longer period, instead of coming down in a much shorter window like the 2023 storm.
Weekend looking better
Conditions are expected to improve Thursday as the rain moves out.
Hubbard says the southwest should clear first, while rain could linger along the Atlantic coast into the afternoon and in Cape Breton into the evening.
Friday and Saturday are expected to bring sunny skies, with another chance of showers possible late Sunday.
