Threatened by the very intense cyclone Freddy, Reunion Island will be placed on cyclonic orange alert on Sunday from 7:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. Paris time) announced the prefect of this French department in the Indian Ocean, Jérôme Filippini.
“
The prefect has decided to trigger the orange level of the
specific Civil Security Response Organization (ORSEC) Cyclones system
from 7:00 p.m., 24 hours before the cyclone passes closest to La Réunion
,” according to a press release.
All schools, from nurseries to universities, will remain closed on Monday and “
probably Tuesday
” as well, adds the text.
But the economic life of the island continues and travel remains authorized.
The red alert level prohibiting all movement and outings “
will be triggered according to the evolution of the situation
”, specified the representative of the State during a press briefing held at midday.
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Generating winds gusting to 310 km / h near the center, Freddy was located at the end of the morning, 1125 km northeast of the Reunion coast.
It is heading at 24 km/h along a westerly course that brings it closer to the island.
According to Météo-France, the “
powerful and compact
” system will pass as close as possible to Reunion on the night of Monday to Tuesday.
“
The center (of the system, editor’s note) will then be about 200 km from the coast of Reunion,
” said Emmanuel Cloppet, director of Météo France, during the press briefing.
The proximity of the intense cyclone should cause "
a rapid and significant deterioration in weather conditions
" from Monday evening, forecasts Météo-France.
The bad weather conditions will reach their climax in the night from Monday to Tuesday, with strong winds and a large swell.
"
But the system is moving quickly, conditions should improve on Tuesday morning
," said Emmanuel Cloppet.
At this stage "
any direct impact of Freddy on the island is excluded, which is fortunate because it would have had an impact never before known to date
", specified the meteorologist.
Reunion “
is going to be confronted with a phenomenon of high intensity.
It could have been extremely serious
“, if the eye had passed on the island, commented the prefect.
Freddy is the first very intense cyclone to threaten inhabited land in the southwestern Indian Ocean basin since March 2004 and the passage of Gafilo.