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

WTIO24 FMEE 030600 SECURITE NEAR GALE WARNING FOR METAREA VII ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 03/01/2008 AT 0600 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 015/06 (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). NEAR GALE WARNING BEGINNING OF VALIDITY: THURSDAY 03/01/2008 AT 0600 UTC. PHENOMENON: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 6 (EX-ELNUS) 998 HPA POSITION: 22.5S / 40.8E (TWENTY TWO DECIMAL FIVE DEGREES SOUTH AND FORTY DECIMAL EIGHT DEGREES EAST) AT 0600 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-SOUTH-EAST 7 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 70 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER EXTENDING UP TO 300 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT AND ALSO BETWEEN 200 NM AND 350 NM FROM THE CENTER IN THE NORTHEASTERN SECTOR. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 30 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER EXTENDING UP TO 90 NM IN THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT EN UP TO 140 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT, AND LOCALLY REACHING GALE FORCE WINDS 35 KT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN SEMI-CIRCLE UP TO 30 NM OF THE CENTER. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2008/01/03 AT 18 UTC: 23.5S / 40.9E, MAX WIND = 30 KT, TROP. DEPRESSION. 24H, VALID 2008/01/04 AT 06 UTC: 24.0S / 41.0E, MAX WIND = 35 KT, MODERATE TROP. STORM. OTHER INFORMATIONS: THUNDERY ACTIVITY IS SOUTHEASTWARDS AWAY FROM THE CENTRE DUE TO A RATHER NORTHWESTERLY VERTICAL WINDSHEAR IN UPPER LEVEL AND EXIST ALSO IN A PERIPHERIC CONVECTIVE BAND FAR FROM THE CENTER IN THE NORTHERN SECTOR. ELNUS IS EXPECTED TO KEEPS ON TRACKING GLOBALLY SOUTHWARDS IN THE NEXT 36 HOURS SLIGHTLY INTENSIFYING TOWARDS A WEAKNESS IN THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURES THEN RECURVE SOUTHEASTWARDS. STRONGER WINDS EXTEND FURTHER IN THE SOUTH OF THE SYSTEM DUE TO THE GRADIENT WITH THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURES.