Much of central and southern Saskatchewan is being warned to prepare for strong winds and heavy rain later this week as an intense storm system moves into the province.

In a special weather statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Environment and Climate Change Canada said an intense low-pressure system is expected to develop in Alberta on Wednesday before moving through Saskatchewan from Thursday into Friday.

The system is expected to bring southerly winds gusting up to 80 km/h before shifting to widespread westerly winds of 70 km/h. Wind gusts in some areas could exceed 110 km/h.

With sustained winds, damage to property such as roofs, trees and fences in addition to power outages are expected.

In addition to the winds, significant rainfall is expected with the southwestern and west-central areas of Saskatchewan slated to received 20 to 40 millimetres of precipitation by Friday night. The southeast and east central regions are expected to receive less rainfall – but showers and thunderstorms are still forecasted.

The special weather advisory covers much of the bottom third of the province, stretching from north of Lloydminster to the southeast corner, including Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Estevan, The Battlefords, Swift Current and Humboldt among other communities.