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 061800 PAN PAN HURRICANE WARNING FOR METAREA VII AND METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 06/02/2009 AT 1800 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 021/08 (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). HURRICANE WARNING BEGINNING OF VALIDITY: FRIDAY 06/02/2009 AT 1800 UTC. PHENOMENON: INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE 8 (GAEL) 941 HPA POSITION: 19.2S / 52.3E (NINETEEN DECIMAL TWO DEGREES SOUTH AND FIFTY TWO DECIMAL THREE DEGREES EAST) AT 1800 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-SOUTH-WEST 5 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 200 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTRE EXTENDING UP TO 500 NM IN THE NORTH-WESTERN SECTOR. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS 65/90 KT AND PHENOMENAL SEAS WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER. STORM FORCE WINDS 50/60 KT AND VERY HIGH TO PHENOMENAL SEAS WITHIN 40 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 50 NM IN THE SOUTHWESTERN QUADRANT. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/45 KT VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS WITHIN 100 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER EXTENDING UP TO 120 NM IN THE EASTERN SEMI-CIRCLE . NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 150 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 200 NM IN THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2009/02/07 AT 06 UTC: 19.4S / 52.1E, MAX WIND = 100 KT, INTENSE TROP. CYCL.. 24H, VALID 2009/02/07 AT 18 UTC: 21.1S / 52.0E, MAX WIND = 110 KT, INTENSE TROP. CYCL.. OTHER INFORMATIONS: GAEL IS STILL INTENSIFYING WITHIN A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT. IT SHOULD REACH ITS MAX INTENSITY WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS AT THE INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE STAGE WITH 110 KNOTS WINDS. AFTER TRACKING SOUTHWARDS DURING FEW HOURS, THE SYSTEM SEEMS TO TRACK NOW SOUTH-SOUTH-WESTWARDS.