Workers preparing for floods in east Belfast

RESIDENTS in east Belfast are bracing themselves a tough weather weekend.

Belfast City Council workers were handing out sandbags on Saturday as another alert has gone out for a possible flooding.

Weather forecasters are predicting heavy rain and strong winds for Sunday and Monday.

As a result, the flood alert first sounded last Thursday remains in place.

The Met Office is warning that Sunday’s high tide is expected to be greater than normal.

Emergency measures were put in place on Friday, amid warnings of a possible tidal surge affecting Belfast.

Walls of sandbags were put in place in parts of central and east Belfast, but the tide peaked without major flooding.

A total of 20,000 sandbags have been used for flood defences along key points in east Belfast and to residents.

Since then, people have been removing the sandbags from key points and putting them against doors and windows in their own homes.

PSNI boss ACC Stephen Martin said that if people needed sand bags his officers would do their best to get them to residents.

Belfast City Council said sandbags were also available at Inverary Community Centre.