Réunion: Tropical storm threatens direct hits, the highest alarm level

Réunion: Tropical storm threatens direct hits, the highest alarm level

cnn - the island of Réunion has called for the highest threat level, while the French territory in the Indian Ocean is preparing for a direct hit through a cyclone that is supposed to bring gusts of over 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour).

category 3 cyclone threatens Réunion

According to the French meteorology authority Météo-France, the core of the tropical cyclone of Garance, which corresponds to the strength of a category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic, will most likely meet the western part of the mountainous island on Friday morning (local time).

weather conditions tighten

"The cyclonal conditions spread on the rest of the island, with gusts of over 150 km/h (93 mph) and fast fluctuations in the direction and strength, depending on the sector," reported Météo-France.

strongest storm has been expected since 2014

Garance is expected to be the strongest storm that affected the territory with almost 900,000 inhabitants since the Bejisa cyclone in January 2014

high warning level and possible effects

The authorities of the island have published a purple cyclone warning, the highest level, since in many areas of the territory, strong winds can be expected that could tear down and destroy the property.

rains and flood risk

It is also expected that the rainfall exceed 200 millimeters (7.8 inches), which could lead to sudden floods on the island.

geographical location and comparison with Mayotte

réunion is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) southeast of Mayotte, another French territory off the east coast of Africa. Mayotte had to complain about massive destruction in December, which was compared with an atomic bomb after the Cyclone Chido had hit the archipelago, devastated entire districts and killed at least 31 people.

criticism of the government

The government of French President Emmanuel Macron saw itself exposed to violent criticism due to its handling of the cyclone, the strongest storm that has affected the region for more than 90 years. Macron was ridiculed by locals when he visited poverty, but said to them that they should be “happy to be in France, because if it were not France, they would be 10,000 times worse.”