Direction Interrégionale de LA REUNION
B.P.4    97491 Ste Clotilde Cedex
Téléphone                02.62.92.11.00
Fax exploitation      02.62.92.11.48
Fax direction           02.62.92.11.47

WTIO20 FMEE 170600 SECURITE GALE WARNING FOR METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 17/12/2007 AT 0600 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 020/04 (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). GALE WARNING BEGINNING OF VALIDITY: MONDAY 17/12/2007 AT 0600 UTC. PHENOMENON: MODERATE TROPICAL STORM 4 (CELINA) 992 HPA POSITION: WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF POINT 19.5S / 62.0E (NINETEEN DECIMAL FIVE DEGREES SOUTH AND SIXTY TWO DECIMAL ZERO DEGREES EAST) AT 0600 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-WEST 14 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 60 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTRE, EXTENDING UP TO 280 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTRE IN THE SOUTHWESTERN SEMI-CIRCLE. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/40 KT AND VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 30 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER EXTENDING UP TO 150 NM FROM THE CENTER IN THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT AND UP TO 110 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2007/12/17 AT 18 UTC: 20.4S / 60.3E, MAX WIND = 40 KT, MODERATE TROP. STORM. 24H, VALID 2007/12/18 AT 06 UTC: 21.3S / 58.8E, MAX WIND = 35 KT, MODERATE TROP. STORM. OTHER INFORMATIONS: THE SYSTEM HAS ACCELERATED OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS TOWARDS A TROUGH SHIFTING IN ITS SOUTHWEST IT HAS INTENSIFIED DURING LAST NIGHT TO REACH MODERATE TROPICAL STORM AND HAS BEEN IN CONSEQUENCE NAMED 'CELINA' BY THE MAURTIUS METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES TODAY AT 0430UTC. CELINA IS EXPECTED TO KEEPS ON TRACKING RAPIDLY SOUTHWESTWARDS WITHIN THE NEXT 48 HOURS AND THEN RECURVING LINKED TO THE REBUILDING SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURES. SYSTEM HAS PROBABLY REACHED ITS MAXIMUM INTENSITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTING TO BE LESS FAVOURABLE WITH A WEAK POLAR INFLOW LINKED TO THE SHIFTING TROUGH IN ITS SOUTH AND A NOT SUFFISANT ENERGETIC POTENTIAL ON COOLER SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES.