Park manager Jufri Nasri said continuous heavy rain since about 4.30pm on Saturday coupled with high tide and rough seas have contributed to the flooding on the island that is among the more popular destinations for park visitors.

“Water was pouring from the hill on Manukan and its flow to the sea was hampered by the high tide and waves as high as 2.1m,” he told FMT.

Jufri said flooding on the island began at about 11pm on Saturday and a few hours later the flat areas were inundated under about 25cm of water.

He said among the structures affected were five staff quarters including his own.

“Fortunately, only the kitchen and toilet on the ground floor were flooded while the other areas that were above ground were not affected.”

He said the park’s restaurant and 29 visitor chalets were unaffected by the flooding.

“The floodwater has slightly receded but the continuous heavy rain is worrying,” he added.

The Meteorological Department had warned of heavy rain for several areas in Sabah and Sarawak until Monday.

The districts in Sabah that have been hit by floods are Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan, Tuaran, Papar, Pitas, Beaufort and Paitan.