DRAMATIC drone footage has captured the extent of flooding in Dumfries after the River Nith burst its banks. 

Thursday saw "extremely high" levels of rainfall, with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's Brydekirk gauging station on the Annan in Dumfries and Galloway, recording its biggest event in 50 years.

The downpours acused bridges across the River Annan to be “washed away”, meaning the railway line connecting Dumfries with Carlisle is closed until further notice.

A minor landslide also blocked the B725 road around six miles from Dumfries and as police warned of large areas of flooding on that road from Dumfries to Glencaple.

Reports say that a man had to be rescued from the roof of his van in Dumfries. 

READ MOE: Trainline closed until further notice between Dumfries and Carlisle after two bridges washed away

Father of three John Blandford, 33, said he had never seen flooding as bad as hit his hometown of Dumfries, yesterday (Thurs).

The town does not yet have flood defences, and footage also showed a van stuck in the water as it came over near the Lincluden area of the town.

John, who works as an HGV driver said: “The River Nith flows through the centre of Dumfries and that is where it has burst its banks and flooded the shops and the houses down the front there.

“We don’t have any flood defences in place there.

“There has been talk and plans put forward by the council to make a flood defence embankment the whole way across there, but it never happened.

 

“Whether it’s still going to happen, I’m not sure.

“I think they thought if you stop flooding here it’s going to push it further down.

“I think 2009 was the last time it was nearly as bad as this.

“I’ve never seen it as bad as this.

“They had to go and rescue the guy out the van.

The Herald: Four people also had to be rescued by Fire and Rescue boats from a business in Dumfries yesterday Four people also had to be rescued by Fire and Rescue boats from a business in Dumfries yesterday

“He was in the van on the road and the river came over and up the road.

“I’ve never seen it come over there before so obviously it’s a lot worse now if it’s coming over there as well.”

Ronnie Clark, the chairman of the Nith Inshore Rescue service said that despite the severity of flooding, the team had received no emergency callouts yesterday.