Thursday's rain was enough to set a record for the day of April 26, but not enough to be a record for the month, nor was it enough to prompt flood warnings that went out for the southern part of the Interior.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jim Steele said the day's rain measured 12.2 mm by 3 p.m., higher than any other April 26 in Kamloops. The previous record was set in 1983 and measured 9.7 mm.

It was also a lot of water for April, which normally gets 14.6 mm for the entire month (so far this month, we're at 23 mm). However, on April 25 of 1983, the city was deluged with 27.8 mm of rain.

Steele described Thursday's precipitation as "Vancouver-like" in its persistence throughout the day.

He blamed the wetness on a weather system parked over the Interior that dropped an increasing amount of rain as it stretched from Kamloops to the U.S. border.

By mid-afternoon, Vernon and Kelowna were under 20 mm of water, while Summerland had received 28 mm and the Penticton-Osoyoos area was soaking with 30 to 40 mm.

The sopping conditions in the south prompted a state-of-emergency alert in West Kelowna, where a creek breached a dike. Six homes were evacuated Wednesday night, but by Thursday afternoon, the owners were allowed to return.

A public meeting was held in Kimberley Thursday due to the flood threat and evacuation alert in one subdivision there. Again, by the afternoon, the water was receding, but the flood-prone area affected was still a concern as spring runoff season continues.

Chris Jackson, City assistant utilities manager, said he'd had fewer than 50 complaints about water problems around town. Most of them involved water pooling on streets around Brocklehurst and North Kamloops or plugged catch basins.

A few were about water accumulating in yards, and two were about water in basements.

"There's nothing out of the norm right now. We do have crews out dealing with it and we've hired a couple of contractors to help out — pumping water off the streets, or rock pits pumped out," he said.

Jason Tomlin, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said he hadn't heard of any problems in the region.

"It's quiet, believe it or not.," he said.

Steele said the system causing the rain was expected to drift toward Alberta, leaving Kamloops with clearing skies Friday morning, sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-teens.

"On the positive side of this, things are going to green up and grass fires should be taken care of for a while. This will dampen that," he said.