Storm disrupts Isle of Man-England ferry services

BBC Front end of Manxman in Douglas HarbourBBC
Daytime and overnight ferry sailings by the Manxman were cancelled on Sunday

More ferry sailings between the Isle of Man and England have been cancelled due to Storm Isha.

The morning sailing of the Manxman from Douglas to Heysham, Lancashire, and the afternoon return have been scrapped.

There has also been some disruption to flights to and from the island and some roads were closed for a time overnight due to fallen trees and debris.

The A18 Mountain Road, which was shut due to high winds, has now been reopened.

ISLE OF MAN FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE Damage to a kiosk roof on Douglas PromenadeISLE OF MAN FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
An area of Douglas Promenade was cordoned off after a kiosk roof was damaged

Roads blocked during the morning commuter period included Phildraw Road in Ballasalla, Tosaby Road in St Marks, the Switchback Road in Peel, and the Sandgate Road, with Clay Head Road and Narradale Road also closed.

A section of Peel Road from Belmont Hill to Circular Road was shut to traffic after the gusts damaged the roof of the Brown Bobby filling station.

A section of Douglas Promenade Walkway at the play park near the sunken gardens was also cordoned off due to debris from the roof of a kiosk in the area.

ISLE OF MAN FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE Fire service officer in front of Brown Bobby filling stationISLE OF MAN FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
Part of Peel Road was closed after damage to the roof of a petrol station

Manx Utilities said it was investigating a fault that has led to an power cut in Port St Mary, while an emergency outage had to be put in place in Cornaa as engineers dealt with a tree that had fallen on overhead lines.

Some homes in Onchan had also lost their power supply for a time on Sunday evening, the firm said.

The latest ferry and flight disruption follows widespread cancellations to the island's travel links on Sunday.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has warned of possible further disruption to sailings on Tuesday with winds due to strengthen once again, reaching gale force during the evening.

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