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 201800 SECURITE WARNING FOR METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 20/12/2008 AT 1800 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). WARNING BEGINNING OF VALIDITY: SATURDAY 20/12/2008 AT 1800 UTC. PHENOMENON: TROPICAL DISTURBANCE 4 (EX-CINDA) 1000 HPA POSITION: 14.7S / 62.4E (FOURTEEN DECIMAL SEVEN DEGREES SOUTH AND SIXTY TWO DECIMAL FOUR DEGREES EAST) AT 1800 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-SOUTH-WEST 5 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 150 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTRE, MAINLY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN SEMI-CIRCLE, EXTENDING FAR AWAY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT WITH SOME CONVECTIVE CLUSTERS PRESENT BETWEEN 15S AND 19S AND UP TO 75E . CLOCKWISE CIRCULATION 20/25 KT AND ROUGH SEAS NEAR THE CENTER REACHING VERY LOCALLY NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT EXTENDING UP TO 130 NM IN THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2008/12/21 AT 06 UTC: 15.2S / 61.8E, MAX WIND = 25 KT, TROP. DISTURBANCE. 24H, VALID 2008/12/21 AT 18 UTC: 15.7S / 61.3E, MAX WIND = 25 KT, TROP. DISTURBANCE. OTHER INFORMATIONS: SYSTEM HAS GONE ON STRONGLY WEAKENING AND HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO THE TROPICAL DISTURBANCE STATUS. EVEN IF A VERY SLIGHT STRENGHENING IS POSSIBLE AFTER 24 HOURS FORECAST, GLOBALLY THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO GO ON WEAKENING AS THE ENVIRONMENT REMAIN UNFAVORABLE. STRONGER WINDS EXTEND ONLY IN THE SOUTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE, DUE TO THE GRADIENT EFFECT WITH THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH PRESSURES.