Strong gales cause travel disruption on Isle of Man

A fallen tree pulled down power lines on a road in Ramsey

Sailings between the Isleof Man and Lancashire have been cancelled amid strong gales brought by Storm Debi.

The 08:45 GMT crossing by the Manxman from Douglas to Heysham and its 15:00 return have been cancelled.

The gales brought down trees leading motorists and buses to be diverted in several areas across the island.

The weather has also caused delays and cancellations to flights, with gusts of up to 80mph (129km/h) expected between 08:00 and midday.

That included the morning EasyJet flight from Manchester, which was diverted and would be rescheduled later, the Isle of Man Airport said.

Bus services were diverted while fallen trees were removed

The carriageway on a section of Lezayre Road between Ramsey and Glen Duff was blocked by a tree which took down power lines as it fell, police said.

Buses from Ramsey to Douglas via Peel were diverted due due to the incident while another fallen tree on the Laxey coast road lead to bus services from Douglas being suspended.

It comes after a Ronaldsway Met Office warning of coastal overtopping, with large waves breaking and leaving debris over exposed areas around high tide at about 11:00 GMT.

Those with high-sided vehicles were told not to drive on the A18 Mountain Road due to the high winds, and there were also warnings about flooding on Bride Road and the Raggatt in Glenfaba.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture advised people to avoid forests and glens throughout the day.

A police spokesman said it was anticipated services would be "extremely busy across the island dealing with weather issues".

The latest travel disruption comes after the cancellation of Sunday evening's ferry crossing to Heysham and its overnight return.

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