Isle of Man ferries cancelled due to force 10 gusts

Winds could reach up to 75 mph on Tuesday according to the Met Office

Gusts of up to 75mph in the Irish Sea are continuing to cause disruption to Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry crossings in the run up to Christmas.

Monday's 19:45 GMT sailing from Douglas to Heysham and Tuesday's 02:15 return crossing have both been cancelled due to the weather.

A decision will be made on two further crossings at 07:00.

The Isle of Man Met Office has predicted "severe gales" reaching force 10 over the Irish Sea on Tuesday.

An Isle of Man Steam Packet spokesman said passengers should check its website for further updates.

'Treacherous' conditions

The Steam Packet Company's chief executive Mark Woodward said it was having to make "tough decisions - which it is not taking lightly".

He said: "I send my sincere apologies to those affected, but we are doing our absolute best in these testing conditions."

Mr Woodward said there was a chance the company would run a service on Christmas Day.

Met Office forecaster Dave Hulse said there could be a risk of localised flooding in coming days, with the worst weather expected to hit the island on Tuesday morning.

A woman became trapped in her car when a river burst its banks in the north of the island

Earlier the island's Fire Service Water Rescue team helped to rescue a woman who became trapped in her vehicle after a river in the north of the island burst its banks.

The area of Sulby Claddaghs has now been closed to the public with conditions being described as "treacherous".

A fire and rescue service spokesman said motorists should not drive through flooded areas as the "depth of the water can be deceptive".

Ramsey and Kirk Michael crews and the Civil Defence Corps have also dealt with a number of calls to properties flooding in the north of the island.

Isle of Man police have warned motorists of standing water on the island's roads and are urging people to drive with care and use their lights.