Ship delays and heavy flooding as Isle of Man has wettest April day on record

The island had more than 40mm of rainfall overnight, beating its previous record of 38.5mm which was set in 1971. Credit: ITV Granada Reports

The Isle of Man has recorded its wettest ever April day for more than 50 years.

Ronaldsway Met Office measured 41.88mm of rain overnight on Tuesday 9 April. The previous wettest April day was recorded in 1971, when 38.5mm fell in 24 hours.

Manx residents in Douglas have experienced heavy flooding, with much of the nearby Tesco car park submerged in rainwater.

The tesco car park in Douglas was completely flooded.
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The heavy rain and strong winds have also caused rough sailing conditions, with many ferries to and from the island delayed or cancelled.

Passengers travelling from the Isle of Man to Liverpool were made to wait for hours before they could disembark due to strong winds.

Ferries arriving and departing from the island have all been delayed for at least two hours.

The Manx National Sports Centre was also forced to close as the water level of the River Glass began to rise.

After flood defences were put in place, it was announced the centre would reopen at 4pm.

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