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 050000 SECURITE GALE WARNING FOR METAREA VII AND METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 05/02/2009 AT 0000 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 013/08 (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 05/02/2009 AT 0000 UTC. PHENOMENON: MODERATE TROPICAL STORM 8 (GAEL) 987 HPA POSITION: WITHIN 30 NM RADIUS OF POINT 18.1S / 58.5E (EIGHTEEN DECIMAL ONE DEGREES SOUTH AND FIFTY EIGHT DECIMAL FIVE DEGREES EAST) AT 0000 UTC MOVEMENT: WEST-SOUTH-WEST 7 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 60 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER IN THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT EXTENDING UP TO 180 NM IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT AND UP TO 220 NM IN THE NORTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE AND ALSO VERY LOCALLY BETWEEN 140 NM AND 250 NM IN THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT WITHIN A PERIPHERAL BAND. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/45 KT AND VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS WITHIN 30 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTRE. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 100 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 130 NM IN THE NORTHEASTERN QUADRANT AND UP TO 160 NM IN THE NORTHWESTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANTS. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2009/02/05 AT 12 UTC: 18.5S / 56.4E, MAX WIND = 60 KT, SEVERE TROP. STORM. 24H, VALID 2009/02/06 AT 00 UTC: 18.6S / 54.3E, MAX WIND = 65 KT, TROPICAL CYCLONE. OTHER INFORMATIONS: LOCATION OF THE CENTER STILL REMAINS RATHER APPROXIMATIVE BUT LLCC IS EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT HOURS TO TRACK WITHIN LA REUNION RADAR RANGE ALLOWING MORE PRECISE MONITORED LOCATIONS GAEL INTENSIFIES SLOWLY BUT REGULARY AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAINTAINS NEAR THE CENTER AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS GRADUALLY IMPROVE. SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO KEEPS ON TRACKING GLOBALLY WEST-SOUTHWESTWARDS WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND BEYOND 36 H IS EXPECTED TO RECURVE SOUTHWESTWARDS THEN SOUTHWARDS AND INTENSIFYING MORE CLEARLY.