Direction Interrégionale de LA REUNION
B.P.4    97491 Ste Clotilde Cedex
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WTIO20 FMEE 261800 SECURITE STORM WARNING FOR METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 26/02/2007 AT 1800 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 023/11 (SOUTH-WEST INDIAN OCEAN) 10 MINUTES AVERAGE WIND SPEED IN KNOTS (KT) (WIND GUSTS AT SEA MAY BE ABOUT 40% STRONGER THAN THE AVERAGED WIND). MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IN HECTOPASCALS (HPA) (INDICATIVE FIGURE). STORM WARNING BEGINNING OF VALIDITY: MONDAY 26/02/2007 AT 1800 UTC. PHENOMENON: SEVERE TROPICAL STORM 11 (HUMBA) 985 HPA POSITION: 24.4S / 78.0E (TWENTY FOUR DECIMAL FOUR DEGREES SOUTH AND SEVENTY EIGHT DECIMAL ZERO DEGREES EAST) AT 1800 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-SOUTH-EAST 7 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 100 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO MORE THAN 500 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT. STORM FORCE WINDS 50 KT AND HIGH TO VERY HIGH SEAS WITHIN 30 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 50 NM AND REACHING LOCALLY 55/60KT IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/45KT AND VERY ROUGH SEAS TO HIGH SEAS WITHIN 90 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 120 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 350 NM IN THE SOUTERN SEMI-CIRCLE STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2007/02/27 AT 06 UTC: 26.3S / 78.3E, MAX WIND = 50 KT, SEVERE TROP. STORM. 24H, VALID 2007/02/27 AT 18 UTC: 28.0S / 78.0E, MAX WIND = 50 KT, SEVERE TROP. STORM. OTHER INFORMATIONS: THE SYSTEM ENTERS WITHIN A LESS FAVOURABLE ENVRONMENT AND ASSOCIATED THUNDERY ACTIVITY IS SOUTHEASTWARDS AWAY FROM THE CENTRE. HOWEVER, THE LOW LEVEL CLOCKWISE CIRCULATION REMAINS RATHER BROAD, AND STRONG WINDS EXTEND FAR IN THE SOUTH DUE TO THE GRADIENT EFFECT WITH THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURES, CENTRED RIGHT IN THE SOUTH OF THE SYSTEM. HUMBA IS EXPECTED TO KEEP ON TRACKING MAINLY SOUTHWARDS BECOMING EXTRATROPICAL OVER SEAS SOUTH OF 25 SOUTH WHERE SST ARE UNDER 26 DEGRES CELSIUS.