'That’s a lot of water': UTRCA says Thames River is dangerous right now

It’s cold, it’s high and it’s fast.

That’s how you describe the Thames River now that warm temperatures over the past couple of days have removed the snow cover.

“That's like rain falling across our entire watershed for two full days,” says Teresa Hollingsworth, community and corporate services manager for the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA).

“So think about two inches of rain right across the watershed all hitting our water courses and our river all at the same time. That’s a lot of water,” she added.

The City of London issued a bulletin Monday saying water levels in the Thames River are now at the point where a boating ban is in place.

“A boating ban sounds like a crazy message but people see the fast moving water and are tempted I think sometimes,” says Hollingsworth.

“We’re trying to spread the message about how dangerous the river is right now.

Also on Monday morning, The London Fire Department’s water rescue team was called into duty. With everyone on high alert these days, a call came which luckily turned out to be a false alarm.

UTRCA says the peak is coming through London right now, and expects the river and watercourses to stay high over the next couple of days.

“Accidents happen and it's not always the same time of year we get this kind of flooding,” adds Hollingsworth. “We can get this in July we can get it in November. So you know it's a constant reminding to people that the danger is really here.”