Due to the threat of an intense tropical cyclone called Belal, the island of La Réunion will be placed under orange cyclone alert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 13 (4 p.m. in Paris), announced Jérôme Filippini, the prefect of the French island in the Indian Ocean, at.
“We must take what is happening seriously, even very seriously,” Mr. Filippini stressed during a press conference on Saturday, urging the population to “stock up on water and food and prepare to be self-sufficient for a few hours.” Days to have your first aid kit.” “We have to ask ourselves now [la question de savoir] where you will be safe from Sunday evening,” he added.
While the island is currently under yellow alert, the storm is intensifying, said Céline Jauffret, interregional director of Météo-France. It should pass as close to Réunion as possible between the end of the night from Sunday to Monday and the day of Monday.
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Wind gusts of more than 150 kilometers per hour
The orange level is the second of the cyclone warning system, which consists of four. This means that “a cyclonic event (…) is developing in the area and poses a threat to the island of Reunion within twenty-four hours,” according to Météo-France.
According to current forecasts, the eye of the cyclone could pass about 100 kilometers from land between Réunion and Mauritius. It would then be “at the stage of a cyclone or even an intense cyclone, as close as possible to the island of Reunion.” We expect significant impacts from wind, rain and waves,” explained Ms. Jauffret.
Météo-France predicts wind gusts of more than 150 kilometers per hour “at the heights of the island”. Waves of more than 6 meters and heavy rain are also expected.
However, direct effects on the island of La Réunion cannot currently be ruled out. This would result in “wind speeds of more than 220 kilometers per hour at low levels.” [de l’île] and can reach 250 kilometers per hour at the island's altitudes, warned Ms. Jauffret. The last severe cyclone to hit Réunion was in 2014.
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