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

WTIO22 FMEE 310600 SECURITE GALE WARNING FOR METAREA VII AND METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 31/01/2008 AT 0600 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 020/09 (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). GALE WARNING BEGINNING OF VALIDITY: THURSDAY 31/01/2008 AT 0600 UTC. PHENOMENON: MODERATE TROPICAL STORM 9 (GULA) 988 HPA POSITION: WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF POINT 19.8S / 59.3E (NINETEEN DECIMAL EIGHT DEGREES SOUTH AND FIFTY NINE DECIMAL THREE DEGREES EAST) AT 0600 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-SOUTH-WEST 11 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 60 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER EXTENDING TO 200 NM IN THE NORTHEASTERN SEMI-CIRCLE. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/45 KT AND VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTRE, EXTENDING LOCALLY UP TO 90 NM IN THE NORTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 50 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 100 NM IN THE NORTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2008/01/31 AT 18 UTC: 21.9S / 58.2E, MAX WIND = 45 KT, MODERATE TROP. STORM. 24H, VALID 2008/02/01 AT 06 UTC: 24.4S / 56.8E, MAX WIND = 50 KT, SEVERE TROP. STORM. OTHER INFORMATIONS: GULA IS NOW WELL ESTABLISHED UNDER THE STEERING FLOW GENERATED BY THE MIDLEVEL SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IN THE EAST. THIS SCENARIO IS KEPT FOR THIS ADVISORY. ONTHIS TRACK GULA SHOULD PASS JUST EAST OF MAURITIUS TODAY AFETERNOON. IT COULD REGAIN SEVERE TROPICAL STORM STATUS AT THIS TIME. IF THE STRONGEST WINDS SHOULD REMAIN OFF SHORE, ONLY A SMALL DEVIATION ON THE FORECAST TRACK LINKED TO INTERACTION WITH EX-FAME TROPICAL DEPRESSION COULD BRING THESE CONDITIONS ON THE ISLAND.