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 050600 SECURITE NEAR GALE WARNING FOR METAREA VII AND METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 05/03/2008 AT 0600 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 003/12 (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: WEDNESDAY 05/03/2008 AT 0600 UTC. PHENOMENON: TROPICAL DEPRESSION 12 998 HPA POSITION: WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF POINT 12.1S / 51.6E (TWELVE DECIMAL ONE DEGREES SOUTH AND FIFTY ONE DECIMAL SIX DEGREES EAST) AT 0600 UTC MOVEMENT: WEST 13 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 90 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTRE, EXTENDING UP TO 200 NM IN THE WESTERN SEMI-CIRCLE. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30KT AND ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 25 NM FROM THE CENTER., EXTENDING UP TO 50 NM FROM THE CENTRE IN THE SOUTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2008/03/05 AT 18 UTC: 12.6S / 49.1E, OVERLAND. 24H, VALID 2008/03/06 AT 06 UTC: 13.1S / 47.3E, MAX WIND = 25 KT, TROP. DISTURBANCE. OTHER INFORMATIONS: THE SYSTEM IS INTENSIFYING AS IT APPROACHES THE NORTH TIP OF MADAGASCAR, GENERATING HEAVY RAINFALLS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION IS SMALL. STRONGEST WINDS ARE LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE OF THE SYSTEM DUE TO THE GRADIENT EFFECT WITH THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURES AND TO ITS RAPID MOTION. AFTER HAVING CROSSED THE NORTHERN TIP OF MADAGASCAR, IT SHOULD INTENSIFY OVER THE WARM SEAS OF THE MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL, BETWEEN THE NORTHWESTERN COASTS OF MADAGASCAR AND COMOROS ARCHIPELAGO.