British Columbia’s River Forecast Centre has issued a flood warning for a stretch of the north coast that has been soaked with heavy rain since Wednesday.

An advisory from the centre says rivers around communities including Stewart, Terrace, Prince Rupert and Kitimat have been rising rapidly and forecasts suggest the potential for water to reach or exceed the 20-year flow in some areas on Thursday.

It says the focus is on rivers and tributaries around Kitimat, but similar conditions can be expected to the north including in Terrace, Prince Rupert and Nass River tributaries, as well as south to Kemano and the surrounding areas.

The centre says fast-flowing rivers pose increased safety risks and people should stay away from the water and potentially unstable riverbanks.

A heavy rainfall warning remains up for the area through to Friday morning.

Environment Canada says about 60 millimetres has already fallen since Wednesday and a further 50 to 70 millimetres of rain is expected.