Storm disruptions affect plans of travellers in Liverpool

Monday, April 8, 2024

The ferries travelling to and from a certain island were significantly affected by the severe gales brought about by a recent storm, causing notable disruptions in their schedules. Specifically, the flagship ferry’s daytime voyages to Heysham and the morning services of a fast craft to Liverpool were canceled on Sunday. Moreover, the afternoon departure of the Manannan was notably delayed by over six hours, rescheduled to 19:30 BST, and the evening trip by the Manxman faced a delay of half an hour, pushing it to 20:30. This alteration had subsequent effects on its overnight return journey. These adjustments came in the wake of a complete halt of all voyages by the island’s Steam Packet Company on the preceding Saturday.

Despite the resumption of the majority of air travel to and from the island, earlier flights destined for London Heathrow and Dublin encountered disruptions. The strong winds, in combination with high spring tides, led the local Met Office to issue warnings about the likelihood of coastal overtopping and minor flooding within the inner harbour areas.

The impact of the storm was further underscored by the accumulation of debris along Douglas Promenade, which necessitated the temporary halt of the horse tram service that operates along the seafront. Additional warnings were issued, including a yellow alert for coastal overtopping effective from 21:30 on Sunday to 01:30 on Monday, and a notice concerning potential flooding in the inner harbour around the high tide period on Monday, from 10:00 to 14:00.

Forecasters pinpointed specific areas at heightened risk, including the Tongue and Lake Road in Douglas, particularly the car parks located riverside of Lake Road, emphasizing the ongoing need for flood defenses in Castletown. A marginal risk of flooding was also noted at Mezeron Corner and West Quay in Ramsey.

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