Weather warning: Heavy rain forces family out of home as more downpours expected in Northern Ireland

What was once Colin Sinclair's driveway is now a waterway.

"After Friday night's rain, Saturday morning a lot of water started to fall and it's been exacerbated by the amount of water that had fallen on Saturday and over the last 24 hours.

"It's unprecedented, normally I'd have no water here."

There has been significant rainfall across Northern Ireland over the last four days, with more set to come.

An amber warning for rain is in place for parts of Antrim, including Belfast, Down and Armagh. It takes effect from 9pm on Monday until 9am on Tuesday.

A yellow warning is in place from 4pm on Monday to 3pm on Tuesday.

This comes ahead of Storm Ciarán which is expected later in the week.

Living on the outskirts of Kircubbin, the Sinclairs' house has been completely surrounded and saturated by water due to the continuous bad weather - and it's creeping ever closer to the front door.

"All I've got now is backed up drains, I can't use any of the utilities because no water can get out of the house, and the toilets - the water is coming up but obviously it's not releasing," explained Colin.

"No internal damage yet, thankfully. If we're fortunate enough that something changes and there's less rain, then the house may survive.

"My family have all had to move out of the house.

"I'm waiting for the inevitable to happen, but it just feels like there's nobody there to sort of say: 'Look we can help'.

"Sandbags are great but they're not going to prevent this amount of water moving towards my house."

Already, more than 500 sandbags have been handed out to the local community.

"I've never seen rain like it in my whole life down here, it just hasn't stopped," said Alderman Richard Adair.

The DUP representative has been working with his council colleague David Kerr to deliver sandbags.

"Unfortunately six homes that I'm aware of have flooded," he told UTV.

"I would say a good 20 to 30 homes, or maybe more, would have been flooded if it hadn't have been for the sandbags coming on time.

"The Playpark in Lawson Park is completely under water - we need to look at this and see what we can try and do to help people."

The torrential rain has caused travel chaos with many roads impassable, and even train stations left flooded.

More rain is set to come.

For Colin and his family, the rise in the tide around his house is understandably rising tension.

"My fear is that this amber warning comes tonight and there's another x amount of rain and it just totally floods through there, I'm starting from something that's already flooded."

The Northern Ireland Police service has advised members of the public to avoid making any unnecessary journeys from 9pm on Monday to Tuesday morning as travel disruption, dangerous road conditions, flooding, floodwater, power cuts are possible.

Those needing assistance for flooding can call the Flooding Incident Line on 0300 2000 100.

Further information is available on the NI Direct website.

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