France's Réunion Island on highest alert as major storm hits

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Jan 15, 2024, 5:19:24 AMJan 15

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The Météo-France weather service warned that winds could exceed 200 km/h on the coast and 250 km/h or more in the highlands. All people on the island, including the emergency services, are to observe a strict lockdown.

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Hundreds of thousands of people on France's Réunion Island were confined to their homes Monday, January 15, as authorities issued the highest alert for a potentially devastating storm. Cyclone Belal hit the French Indian Ocean island on Monday, moving in from the northwest packing "extreme winds," according to Météo-France.

"The eye of the storm is passing over the Reunion Island, starting from the northern part," the meteorological service said in its latest public bulletin. It had previously said that Belal is not, however, expected to become an intense tropical cyclone. "We're into the hard part," prefect Jérôme Filippini told radio station France Inter. "We will have a difficult and dangerous Monday."

In preparation for gusty winds that could exceed 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) in the highlands, authorities hoisted the violet-level alert, indicating imminent danger, at 6 am (0200 GMT), putting all 870,000 residents, including the emergency services, on strict lockdown.

"All circulation is formally prohibited for any reason whatsoever, and until further notice," the official statement said. Authorities urged islanders to stock up on food and water and stay indoors for 36 hours. Expecting waves up to 13-15 meters (43-49 feet) high, the entire coastline was put on alert. Many balconies and gardens had been cleared of any objects that could be carried away or broken, and shopkeepers took in removable signs.

The island's main airport said it was suspending flight operations. French President Emmanuel Macron took to social media on Sunday to urge residents to stay indoors. "Be careful, stay at home," he said on X.

'Destructive winds'
The last major cyclone to hit Réunion was in 2014. But speaking about the dangers of the current storm, authorities evoked Cyclone Firinga in 1989, which destroyed hundreds of homes and dropped record-breaking rain.

Météo-France warned of a possible "lull" as the eye of the storm tracked over the island, but added, "This should not be understood as the end of the cyclone". "Quite the opposite, as the winds will pick up again in completely different directions," said Céline Jauffret at the forecasting service.

The weather service warned that winds could exceed 200 km/h on the coast and 250 km/h or more in the highlands. "These are destructive and devastating winds that could cause major damage," said Sébastien Langlade, head of forecasting at Météo-France Réunion. Residents were also warned to beware of potentially flooded rivers.

Six emergency health centers were set up for people requiring treatment, in addition to the 142 accommodation centers across the country for people to use in the event of flooding. In Saint-Denis, around 20 homeless people were taken to a shelter.

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