THE coastal communities within Berwickshire are urged to be aware of the potential for higher than usual astronomical tides along the east coast of Scotland between Sunday 27 September and Friday 2 October.

The high tides alone are not likely to cause flooding, however combined with weather conditions like a storm surge, high winds and large waves, the risk of flooding will increase. It is important to remember that because the tides are higher than normal it will not take much change in the weather for impacts to be felt by communities.

Property, roads, transport and community facilities can all be affected by flooding so if you live or work in and around coastal communities you should be aware of the increased risk of flooding and should be prepared.

SEPA is working closely with Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and other partners to manage the flood risk and help the community prepare. There are public access sandbag stores located in Eyemouth at the Fire Station and at the Harbour Road car park to allow residents and business to obtain sandbags to protect their property.

A multi-agency group, including SBC, SEPA, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, is aware of this potential situation and are prepared to respond should they be required.

The Eyemouth Bantry Wall warning signage and the Harbour Road flood protection barriers will potentially be deployed during this period and residents will be updated through the SB Alert messaging service.

Residents in communities at risk of flooding can sign up to receive flooding messages from Floodline, which provides live information and advice on how to prepare for or cope with the impacts of flooding.

The telephone system and website can be accessed by anyone, but by registering with Floodline you can receive free messages for your area of interest, direct to your phone. You can sign up by calling 0345 988 1188 or visiting www.floodlinescotland.org.uk.

To sign up to the free SBAlert service, visit www.sbalert.co.uk.