FIREFIGHTERS came to the aid of five flooded homeowners as heavy downpours battered the town.

Green Watch team from Swindon Fire Station were called to Belsay, Toothill after water seeped its way into four homes.

A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said fire fighters had earned their stripes by standing ankle deep in muddy water to attend to the properties.

“They had a variety of flood related incidents to deal with. Green Watch spent most of the day dealing with flooding to properties and using the mini pump to pump out quite a bit of water from the properties.

“They received calls at 12.05pm to four properties in Belsay and the flooding was affecting four homes. The fire engine and the aerial appliance attended.

"A pump was used to remove water from the homes. They were able to leave by about 2.30pm.”

Crews also attended a house in the Marsh, Wanborough, to pump out water.

Elsewhere, at 1.45pm, two properties in Silver Street, Minety, required firefighters when water poured in.

At 3.35pm, flooding was reported in an empty shop in Edgware Road which had affected the electrical system and caused a fire in a cupboard. The fire was put out and the electricity board asked to attend.

Wiltshire Police also attended floods yesterday, the first call being at 2.50pm near Braydon Hall in Minety.

And at 4.30pm flooding was reported under the railway bridge in Whitehill Lane, Royal Wootton Bassett.

The geography department of St Joseph’s Catholic College, Ocotal Way, reported record rainfall for the day with an eye-watering 27.4mm measured.

Amateur weatherman Geoff Witts, from Steeple Ashton in west Wiltshire, has recorded rainfall in the region for the past few years. He said the heavy rainfall in Swindon had surprised him.

“In Melksham we saw 18.5mm, which isn’t the wettest day by any stretch of the imagination. The weather in this country is so unpredictable that we can’t say if that is out of character," he said.

“The most I have heard in Cardiff is 40mm falling so 27.4mm is one of the wettest days this year by far. It was a shock to see so much flooding across Wiltshire."

A Met Office spokesman had welcome news that weather would clear largely across the town today with just some isolated heavy showers.

“Any showery rain and fog will gradually clear through the morning to allow increasing amounts of sunny spells across the region," he said.

"Despite this, some heavy and possibly thundery showers may develop through the day.

“Locally heavy showers will soon ease to allow drier and clearer conditions to develop, before cloud thickens from the east later in the night."