Heavy rain prompts 'prepare for flooding' warning

People on the Isle of Man have been advised to prepare for potential flooding after prolonged heavy rain was forecast.

A yellow severe weather warning will be in place from 18:00 GMT until 06:00 on Thursday after Ronaldsway Met Office predicted up to 30mm (1.2 inches) of rain would fall on the island during that 12-hour period.

Experts are concerned blocked drains and already saturated ground from recent deluges may lead to more flooding.

The Department of Infrastructure (DoI) said it had several sweepers on the island's main arterial routes to clear leaf fall and reduce risks posed by surface water.

The department said it had also increased the number of on-call staff overnight to ensure it can respond quickly to weather-related calls.

Sandbags are available for public collection from Civic Amenity Sites in Rushen, German, Santon and Lezayre.

Those living in flood-prone locations can also collect sandbags from the Civil Defence Headquarters at Tromode.

The latest alert follows a 15-hour weather warning which was put in place on Tuesday for heavy rain.

The DoI said a team had been deployed to problem areas identified on Tuesday.

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