Mauritius braces for intense Cyclone Freddy
What you need to know:
- The Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) issued a Class 3 cyclone warning, saying the estimated gusts in the centre of Cyclone Freddy could be around 300 kilometres (190 miles) an hour
Port Louis. Mauritius was battening down the hatches on Monday as an intense tropical cyclone approached, with flights cancelled in the Indian Ocean island nation.
"Cyclone Freddy is an extremely strong cyclone which is a direct threat" to the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues and Saint-Brandon, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said.
In an address late Sunday, he urged the people of Mauritius to take all necessary precautions, stay home and remain "vigilant."
The idyllic holiday destination is renowned for its spectacular white sandy beaches and turquoise waters but also lies in the pathway of occasional cyclones.
The Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) has issued a Class 3 cyclone warning, saying estimated gusts in the centre of Cyclone Freddy could reach around 275 kilometres (170 miles) an hour.
Images from the remote island showed waves crashing to the shore and palm trees swishing in the wind.
In its latest update at 1 pm (0900 GMT), the agency said Freddy was centred about 140 kilometres to the northeast of Mauritius and moving west-southwest at a speed of about 30 kilometres an hour.
"On this trajectory, Freddy continues to dangerously approach Mauritius and represents a direct threat," it said.
"As Freddy approaches Mauritius, storm surge is likely to cause coastal inundation in risk areas. It is therefore strictly advised not to go to sea."
It said it expected the cyclone to pass around 120 kilometres from the main island Mauritius in the late afternoon.
But it lowered the cyclone's classification to intense from very intense and lifted its safety bulletin for the autonomous island of Rodrigues which lies 600 kilometres east of Mauritius.
Airports of Mauritius announced that the international airport would be closed from Monday until further notice.
"Air Mauritius is closely monitoring the situation with the authorities and will keep passengers informed of developments," the national carrier added on its website.
The authorities on the French island of Reunion, which is expecting the cyclone to reach it overnight Monday, have also gone on alert.
About a dozen storms or cyclones occur each year in the southwest Indian Ocean during the November-April season.
