The popular Buntzen Lake recreation area has been closed Friday, Jan. 31 as heavy rains lash the Tri-Cities, triggering warnings of localized flooding and up to 150 millimetres of rain at higher altitudes.

In a public safety advisory distributed on Twitter, the village of Anmore said the Buntzen Lake area would be closed to the public due to the forecast of extreme rain events Friday and the potential for road washouts and increased hazards along trails.

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A spokesperson for BC Hydro, which manages the area, told The Tri-City News the Buntzen Lake area would be closed both Friday and Saturday as a safety precaution.

Buntzen Lake is BC Hydro's busiest recreation area - Stefan Labbé

Buntzen Lake is a popular destination for hikers in the Tri-Cities and beyond. It boasts an extensive trail network, including the scenic Diez Vistas and Lake Buntzen Loop, 13 km of heavily trafficked — and at times steep — trail.

With the traffic comes mishaps: Earlier this month, five snowshoers were stranded on Eagle Mountain for more than 20 hours before they were found by Coquitlam Search and Rescue volunteers.

Buntzen Lake isn’t the only part of the region under warning due to the wet weather. Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for the Tri-Cities as an intense low-pressure system with subtropical moisture dumps heavy rain across the region.

According to a city of Coquitlam rain gauge located on Burke Mountain, about 60 mm of rain have fallen in the last 24 hours.

By evening, the cold front associated with the system will return, prompting another round of heavy rain predicted to last until midday Saturday.