Parts of Scotland braced for more downpours

Heavy rain has caused flooding in many parts of southern Scotland in recent days

The south of Scotland is braced for more downpours after several days of heavy rain.

It has already caused serious issues with bridges washed away in Annan, a rescue operation in Dumfries and a major incident declared in Hawick.

The Met Office has warned of more rain in the days to come with a yellow warning for some areas for Sunday and Monday

Flood warnings are currently in place for Dumfries and Galloway and Tayside.

There are also a number of flood alerts across the country.

More rain

More rain is forecast by the Met Office on ground which is "already wet or saturated".

A warning for heavy rainfall has been issued for most of Sunday which will impact the Grampian area from 10:00 until 19:00 and the south west of Scotland from 03:00 until 06:00 on Monday.

Police in Dumfries and Galloway, which has been badly hit by heavy downpours this week, have urged people not to park near the River Nith due to its rising level.

A warning for Saturday stretches into the Central Belt and the Borders

The force said the river is due to flood the Whitesands area of the region.

Dumfries and Galloway VOST, a group reporting major incidents in real time, said the east car park in Whitesands had closed as water levels continued to rise.

A spokesperson for the group urged residents in the area to remove their vehicles, saying: "It's estimated that the river will come out of the channel at 11am with the peak at 2pm".

People rescued

Problems first began on Wednesday with disruption to cross-border rail services with some operators advising passengers not to travel.

The following day a major incident was declared in Hawick amid fears up to 500 properties could be flooded.

Overnight into Friday two footbridges were washed away in Annan and four people had to be rescued from premises on the Whitesands in Dumfries.

Rail services on the line between Dumfries and Carlisle were also cancelled to allow safety checks on a viaduct near where the bridges were damaged.

On Friday, David McGowan, owner of Broughton Brewery in the Borders, shared photographs of floods and said the water was getting worryingly close to his business.

Rising water levels beside Broughton Brewery

Flooded fields beside Broughton Brewery