Ferries resume but Mountain Road still closed

Ferry travel between Douglas and Heysham restarted on Friday morning

Ferry sailings between the Isle of Man and Lancashire have resumed following disruption caused by gales over the Irish Sea.

Evening and overnight ferries between Douglas and Heysham were called off on Thursday.

The high winds were coupled with snowfall on the hills, leading to the closure of the A18 Mountain Road.

The road, which is the main route between the island’s capital and the north, remained closed due to snow and ice.

The Mountain Road was closed on Thursday morning after the conditions deteriorated

Several roads in the west and south of the island had to be temporarily closed on Thursday for safety reasons while the Department of Infrastructure cleared snow from the carriageway.

It followed gusts of up to 45mph (72km/h) along with the snowfall leading to drifts in places.