Cars swept away, buildings flooded, waterfront submerged by waves: Mauritius suffered the first damage on Monday as Cyclone Belal approached, which poses a "threat", local meteorological services warned.
The alert level on the island was raised on Monday to 3 (out of a possible 4), a few hours after the eye of the cyclone hit the neighbouring island of Reunion, killing one person.
The rough seas in Port-Louis. 🌀 #CycloneBelal #IleMaurice pic.twitter.com/3732LGq8ee
— Guillaume Gouges (@guillaumegouges) January 15, 2024
"Belal is dangerously close to Mauritius and poses a threat to the island," the Meteorological Service (MMS) said in a statement, stressing that the cyclone "will pass at its closest point, about 70 km south of the island, early tomorrow morning" (Tuesday).
But heavy rains on Monday morning took the island's population of nearly 1.3 million by surprise, causing chaos and damage, an AFP correspondent said.
Residents trapped by floods
After a statement from the government, many employees and civil servants left their jobs at midday, only to find themselves trapped in flooded streets.
In the capital Port-Louis, cars were stranded, with water up to their hoods, sometimes even swept away by the current, according to images broadcast by local media.
Port-Louis, the capital, under water. #CycloneBelal #IleMaurice #Cyclone pic.twitter.com/lWhwto9ITG
— Guillaume Gouges (@guillaumegouges) January 15, 2024
"When the government closed the polls today at 12:30 p.m. (08 GMT), it created a big panic. Many have not found their cars. (...) My car was swept away for more than 30 metres," Rouben, a 500-year-old bank employee, told AFP. "It's serious. It's the first time in my life I've seen this," he added.
Powerful Waves
Other images showed powerful waves submerging the capital's waterfront, as well as flooded buildings with furniture floating in the water. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport announced its closure "from 16:30 p.m. (local time, 13:30 p.m. in Paris) until further notice."
🇷🇪🌀 Cyclone #Belal has already begun to violently hit Saint-Denis, the capital of #LaReunion
The strong gusts are impressive with heavy rain. Reunionese are asked not to leave their homes.
Images: @Sharif974 pic.twitter.com/wySxalGyD2
— Amina B. (@NaminAKN) January 15, 2024
Schools will remain closed on Tuesday, the education minister also announced. In the coming hours, "torrential rains" and wind gusts of up to 110 km/h are expected, the weather service said.
Read alsoCyclone Belal: the story of seven hours of hell in Reunion Island
They called on the population to "take all precautions and stay in a safe place", to avoid driving and to stay away from "places prone to water accumulation, the banks of rivers and other watercourses likely to be flooded as well as some mountain slopes prone to landslides".
A popular tourist island for its white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, Mauritius was hit in February 2023 by heavy rains and strong winds from Cyclone Freddy, which had ravaged southeast Africa, including Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. A dozen storms or cyclones cross the southwestern Indian Ocean each year during the cyclone season, which runs from November to April.