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 070600 PAN PAN HURRICANE WARNING FOR METAREA VII AND METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 07/02/2009 AT 0600 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 023/08 (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: SATURDAY 07/02/2009 AT 0600 UTC. PHENOMENON: INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE 8 (GAEL) 934 HPA POSITION: 20.0S / 51.7E (TWENTY DECIMAL ZERO DEGREES SOUTH AND FIFTY ONE DECIMAL SEVEN DEGREES EAST) AT 0600 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH 5 KT THREAT AREAS: SQUALLY WEATHER EXISTS WITHIN 150 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTRE EXTENDING UP BETWEEN 200NM AND 350NM IN THE EASTERN SEMI-CIRCLE WITHIN A PERIPHERAL BAND AND VERY LOCALLY UP TO 700 NM EAST OF 57E. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS 65/95 KT AND PHENOMENAL SEAS WITHIN 30 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 SOUTH-WESTERN SECTOR. 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 SOUTH-WESTERN SECTOR . NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 190 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 220 NM IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN SECTOR. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2009/02/07 AT 18 UTC: 21.2S / 52.1E, MAX WIND = 100 KT, INTENSE TROP. CYCL.. 24H, VALID 2009/02/08 AT 06 UTC: 22.5S / 52.5E, MAX WIND = 100 KT, INTENSE TROP. CYCL.. OTHER INFORMATIONS: GAEL STILL STAYS IN A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS AND SHOULD THEREFORE INTENSIFY SLIGHTLY BUT IS NOW VERY CLOSE OF ITS INTENSITY PEAK. GAEL GENERATES A SWELL FROM 3M TO 5M AVERAGE HIGH ON THE EASTERN MALAGASY COASLINE AND THE ISLANDS OF LA REUNION AND MAURITIUS. IT DRIFTS ON A GLOBALLY SOUTHWARDS TRACK WITH SLOW MOTION. IT IS EXPECTED TO SPEED UP SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARDS IN A LESS AND LESS FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT AND TO WEAK BEFORE BEGINNING ITS EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION. NOTE : ACTUAL MOVE 180/08KT (5KT MENTIONNED IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS ADVISORY IS AN AVERAGE FOR THE LAST 6 HOURS)