Parched areas of southern Manitoba, including the City of Winnipeg, will be getting some moisture Wednesday and later in the week but it might not be as much as people are hoping for.

"We had not a bad rain overnight, actually," meteorologist Dan Fulton says from Environment Canada's downtown offices.

"Again, we're looking at probably a few millimetres of rain today. It's not the big soak that we really need, but we'll certainly take it."

Some isolated thunderstorms are possible in the morning as the system moves through. It will also bring high humidity with a high of 22 degrees Wednesday, but a humidex of 28.

Looking ahead in the week there is a possibility of showers Thursday, but again Fulton says it will be lacking significant totals.

Most of southern Manitoba has been under special air quality statements from Environment Canada due to heavy smoke in the air from forest fires in Manitoba and Ontario. Four First Nation communities have been evacuated, with over 1,300 people arriving in Winnipeg as a result of the fires.

"That should start slowly improving either tonight or early tomorrow" Fulton says. Winds will begin to shift directions and push much of the smoke out of the area by Thursday.