The mayor of Montreal has issued warnings of bad weather during Halloween, so the government is urging trick-or-treaters to postpone their activities this week. The forecast isn’t looking too great, and the last thing anyone wants is a cold, damp Halloween night. The city and other neighbouring areas are also encouraging parents to postpone their festivities for the safety of their children.

A heavy rainfall warning has been issued. In the Montreal area, about 40 to 50 millimetres of rain is expected to fall on Thursday. This beats the previous spooky rainy weather record of 22.4 millimetres back in 2013. Environment Canada wishes to remind citizens that that year brought flash flooding and ponding on roads—conditions that aren’t safe for little trick-or-treaters.

Other than Montreal, neighbouring areas are also included in the warning: Longueuil, Varennes, McMasterville, Sorel-Tracy, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Beloeil, Magog, and Candiac. However, Montreal West and Laval are not advising their residents to postpone their activities on the 31st. Instead, they will station police in residential neighbourhoods in case they need to evacuate or suddenly cancel the festivities.

Environment Canada, however, is urging residents of the area to seriously consider postponing their trick-or-treating. According to their predictions, torrential rains and intense winds will bombard the Montreal area on Thursday; the special weather statement also warns of snow in the more northerly parts of Quebec. An umbrella or a raincoat won’t be enough to protect you and your family from the weather. Flash floods are dangerous, especially in areas situated at the bottom of hills or in between them. Blustery winds can pick up objects and hurl them across the neighbourhood—putting people at risk of being hit by debris.

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If you live in the Montreal area, it would be a good idea to consider this weather warning before stepping out the door on Thursday. There are plenty of other days that you and your family can celebrate a “post” Halloween trick-or-treat; the risks just may not be worth it.

Even if you don’t live in the area, you should still check the weather before bringing your kids out to solicit candy from neighbours. It’s more than just a wet costume or a trick-or-treat bucket filling up with water; cold, rainy, or windy weather are risks to kids trying to enjoy themselves outside. Generally, you should be spooked by bad weather.