Direction Interrégionale de LA REUNION
B.P.4    97491 Ste Clotilde Cedex
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WTIO20 FMEE 281800 SECURITE STORM WARNING FOR METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 28/01/2008 AT 1800 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 010/09 (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 28/01/2008 AT 1800 UTC. PHENOMENON: SEVERE TROPICAL STORM 9 (GULA) 978 HPA POSITION: WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF POINT 14.7S / 62.0E (FOURTEEN DECIMAL SEVEN DEGREES SOUTH AND SIXTY TWO DECIMAL ZERO DEGREES EAST) AT 1800 UTC MOVEMENT: NORTH-WEST 3 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 120 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 180 NM IN THE WESTERN SECTOR. STORM FORCE WINDS 50KT AND HIGH SEAS WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTRE. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/45 KT AND VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS WITHIN 40 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTRE, EXTENDING UP TO 80 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT.. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 60 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 120 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2008/01/29 AT 06 UTC: 14.7S / 61.1E, MAX WIND = 60 KT, SEVERE TROP. STORM. 24H, VALID 2008/01/29 AT 18 UTC: 15.2S / 60.3E, MAX WIND = 65 KT, TROPICAL CYCLONE. OTHER INFORMATIONS: GULA IS ORGANIZING AND INTENSIFYING REGULARLY WITHIN A RATHER FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT. WINDS EXTENSION ARE MORE IMPORTANT IN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT, DUE TO THE GRADIANT WITH THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (ISSUED OF DATA QUIKSCAT 1408UTC). AS THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE REBUILDS IN THE SOUTH, THE SYSTEM SHOULD GENERALLY TRACK WESTWARDS TO WESTSOUTHWESTWARDS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND THEN SOUTHSHOUTHWESTWARDS, CONTINUING TO INTENSIFY.