Photo: Canadian Armed Forces

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says recurring springtime flooding is a consequence of climate change and citizens need to adapt to this new reality.

He made the comments today during a visit to an evacuation centre in the city of Gatineau, one of the areas of Quebec hardest hit by floods after the Ottawa River burst its banks.

Authorities say rain forecast over the coming days and melting snow could further raise the water levels in the region between Gatineau and Montreal.

Trudeau says governments need to work with citizens to find ways to adapt to what he called a new reality of climate change. He says flooding across the country will occur more often as a consequence.

Climate experts say volatile winter weather increases the risk of ice accumulating on rivers, which can cause flooding when the ice begins to move as the temperature warms.

Quebec's Public Security Department says as of 2 p.m. today, about 1,900 homes across the province are flooded and 515 people have been forced from their homes.