An amber weather warning has been issued for Storm Franklin which will see the Island face high winds and severe gales overnight Sunday into Monday which could peak with gusts of 65 – 70mph.
Franklin will be the third storm to hit the Isle of Man over the past week and the public are being asked to again take care and to prepare for damage and travel disruption due to the high wind speeds.
With the brunt of the storm hitting overnight, the disruption to travel is likely to be reduced, but strong winds are expected to remain during the Monday morning commute. Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are asked to take care when travelling, with falling or already fallen debris on roads and pavements.
The wind speeds mean that high sided vehicles should avoid the Mountain Road overnight until at least 9am on Monday (21 February). This is likely to impact the Bus Vannin X3 service between Ramsey and Douglas which may be re-routed to the coast road on Monday morning. A final decision will be taken by 7am on Monday morning as more becomes known about the likely impact of the storm. The public should follow Isle of Man Transport on social media and check bus.im for service updates.
There is a risk of some coastal overtopping at the northern end of Peel beach and Fenella beach in Peel as well as around the Cosy Nook area in Port Erin, particularly around high tide at 1:58am.
The public should secure their properties before dark, including loose garden items that may be likely to move or lift during gusts of wind.
Teams from the Isle of Man Constabulary and the Department of Infrastructure will work to keep routes functioning and the public safe, with Civil Defence on standby to assist.
Regular updates will be available on social media channels.
