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 071800 PAN PAN HURRICANE WARNING FOR METAREA VII AND METAREA VIII (S) ISSUED BY METEO-FRANCE/TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTRE/LA REUNION 07/02/2009 AT 1800 UTC. WARNING NUMBER: 025/08 (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 1800 UTC. PHENOMENON: INTENSE TROPICAL CYCLONE 8 (GAEL) 940 HPA POSITION: WITHIN 20 NM RADIUS OF POINT 21.2S / 52.1E (TWENTY ONE DECIMAL TWO DEGREES SOUTH AND FIFTY TWO DECIMAL ONE DEGREES EAST) AT 1800 UTC MOVEMENT: SOUTH-SOUTH-EAST 7 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 LOCALLY UP TO 400 NM EAST OF 55E. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS 65/90 KT AND PHENOMENAL SEAS WITHIN 30 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER. STORM FORCE WINDS 50/60 KT AND VERY HIGH TO PHENOMENAL SEAS WITHIN 60 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 80 NM IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN QUADRANT. GALE FORCE WINDS 35/45 KT VERY ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS WITHIN 130 NM RADIUS OF THE CENTER. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 30 KT AND ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS WITHIN 190 NM RADIUS FROM THE CENTER, EXTENDING UP TO 270 NM IN THE SOUTHERN SEMI-CIRCLE. STRONG GUSTS UNDER SQUALLS. FORECAST POSITION AND INTENSITY: 12H, VALID 2009/02/08 AT 06 UTC: 22.8S / 52.5E, MAX WIND = 80 KT, TROPICAL CYCLONE. 24H, VALID 2009/02/08 AT 18 UTC: 24.9S / 53.3E, MAX WIND = 70 KT, TROPICAL CYCLONE. OTHER INFORMATIONS: GAEL HAS TEMPORARILY STOPPED ITS WEAKENING TREND. CURRENT MOTION AND SPEED: 160/7KT. IT GENERATES A SWELL FROM 3M TO 5M AVERAGE HIGH ON THE EASTERN MALAGASY COASLINE AND THE ISLANDS OF LA REUNION AND MAURITIUS. IT IS EXPECTED TO SPEED UP SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARDS IN A LESS AND LESS FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT AND TO WEAKEN BEFORE BEGINNING ITS EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION.