Cyclone Berguitta PATH LIVE: Tropical storm to DESTROY Mauritius and La Reunion
TROPICAL CYCLONE Berguitta has caused devastating damage to Mauritius and La Reunion after the tropical storm battered the Indian Ocean islands with strong winds and torrential rain. Express.co.uk brings you the latest news and updates as the storm heads to sea.
Mauritius and Reunion brace for Tropical Cyclone Berguitta
- Tropical Cyclone Berguitta was raised to a category 2 storm on Tuesday morning
- The eye of the storm missed both Mauritius and La Reunion but both islands were battered by high winds and heavy rain on Thursday.
- The cyclone’s path is heading for open water in the Indian Ocean after bringing flooding and winds of 65 knots to Mauritius and La Reunion
- Berguitta forecast to miss Madagascar
Express.co.uk brings you the latest news and live updates on Tropical Cyclone Berguitta (all times in GMT).
6.45pm: Final update - Mauritian prime minister assesses damage from Cyclone Berguitta
Mauritian French-language daily newspaper L'Express reports that the country’s Prime Minister Pravin Jugnauth has given his first press conference assessing the damage of tropical storm cyclone.
The prime minister confirmed there had been no casualties but offered his solidarity for Mauritians and Rodriguans who had suffered as a result of Cyclone Berguitta.
He said: ”The time is cleaning up. A national campaign begins on Friday and I call on all Mauritians to help get the country back on track.”
In La Reunion, EDF said 72,000 of it customers were left without power but 75 percent of customers have since had their supply restored.
6pm: Majority of La Reunion's rivers and gullies have flooded
La Reunion remains on an orange warning alert after being battered with heavy rain over the last few hours.
In 12 hours, 488mm of rain was collected at Grand Coude (south-east), 288mm at Plaine des Makes (south-west) and 216mm at Etang Saint Leu (west).
The majority of the island's rivers and gullies have flooded across the south of the island but the red cyclone alert has not been triggered.
Storm tracker Cycloclane says the latest wind speeds are 50 knots as Berguitta continues its south-west trajectory of La Reunion.
3.20pm: Storm causes torrential rain and flooding in La Reunion
Video footage and images from social media show torrential flooding in La Reunion.
Sudden rising water swept through port town Saint-Pierre forcing people to evacuate the area, according to eyewitness accounts.
3.20pm: La Reunion to receive 200mm and 300mm rain over the next few hours, Met Office says
Berguitta continues to batter Le Reunion with heavy rainfall as it moves further south but is showing signs of weakening.
A Met Office spokesman said: “Berguitta continues to weaken so it is now a severe tropical storm.
“What it means in terms of impact is that there will be a lot of heavy rain - about 200mm to 300mm in some places - and strong winds.”
Kat Hopps takes over live reporting from Vickiie Olliphant
January 18, 2018
3.05pm: According to weather forecaster Windy.com, the tropical storm has passed south of La Reunion along the Indian Ocean where it has dropped 35.5mm rain over the last three hours.
Just before 11am GMT, the Met Office tweeted: “Tropical Storm Berguitta now passing just south of La Reunion.
“Over 200mm rain in 24 hours reported in many locations with a peak of 645mm (25.4") at an elevated site.”
1.10pm: Le Tampon in La Reunion has been battered by heavy rain as the cyclone passed. As a result, rivers overflowed, and residents have been evacuated.
Several families were evacuated this morning in the presence of officials of the council and the rescue services in Tampon. 12 people were taken care of.
In the city centre or in the surrounding neighbourhoods, the weather has caused a lot of damage. At La Pointe, residents complain of the bad flow of water. Everything is flooded.
1.06pm: La Reunion has survived the eye of the storm - but heavy winds hit the coast
The island, like Mauritius, survived the eye of tropical storm Berguitta as the cyclone's path tracked along the eastern coastline.
The cyclone has now moved to the south of the island, with heavy winds and rain battering the island tourist hotspot.
11.35am: The Indian Island’s Meteorological Services maintained the cyclone's class three categories.
Category 3 warning is given when the cyclone is considered to be a major event, with wind of 111 to 129 miles per hour and have the potential to cause significant loss of life.
The services said in a bulletin that the tropical storm Berguitta was centred at about 15 kilometres off the coast of Souillac.
10.12am: According to weather tracking system Cycolcane, tropical cyclone Berguitta has now passed by the south-eastern tip of Mauritius.
The storm, which is now recording winds of 55mph, is due south of the Mauritius south coast.
The maximum predicted wind speeds will reach highs of 65 knots, 75mph on Friday at 6am.
Despite avoiding a direct hit from the storm, Mauritius was still battered by high winds last night - suffering high levels of damage as the storm passed along the coastline.
Tropical Cyclone Berguitta: Raging floods plow into La Reunion
6.40am: Berguitta misses the south-east coast of Mauritius
Cyclone Berguitta recently missed the south-east coast of the UK holiday hotspot, Mauritius, according to meteorologist José García.
He tweeted: "Looks like the eye of Cyclone Berguitta just missed the south-east coast of Mauritius."
Mr García added that the devastating storm is now heading in the direction of La Reunion.
He said: “It's beginning to move away from the island, where the latest reports indicate NW winds at the airport with pressure beginning to rise.
“Berguitta is now approaching La Reunion.”
1.00am: A cyclone warning class III is in force in Mauritius
People in Mauritius are advised to take all precautions and to stay safe.
The weather will remain overcast with intermittent rain.
There will be heavy showers with thunderstorms at midday, the wind will blow from the south at about 60 km/h turning gradually towards the south southwest. Gusts may reach 120 km/h in showers.
Sea will be very high with heavy swells. The public is strictly advised not to go out at sea.
10.31pm: Reunion to be battered by 80mph winds
Reunion is bracing for gusts of up to 80mph on Thursday, with Cyclone Berguitta forecast to bring torrential rain to the island.
Meteofrance said the storm will pass very close to the southeastern coast of the island, producing huge 9m waves offshore.
However, the storm is expected to have weakened slightly by the time it reaches the French colony.
10.02pm: Billericay Town owner stranded in Mauritius
Glenn Tamplin, the multimillaire owner of Billericay Town FC, is stranded in Mauritius as Tropical Cyclone Berguitta prepares to ravage the island.
Mr Tamplin tweeted this morning: “Have been on lock down here on Mauritius waiting for the cyclone to hit. Have to go inside now. Wish us luck.
“Meant to fly home today but stuck in scale 3 cyclone on its way hitting us in Mauritius head on in next 12 hours.”
9.09pm: Damage reported on Mauritius as Berguitta closes in
Tropical Cyclone Berguitta has not yet made landfall on Mauritius but locals have already reported damage on the paradise island.
Residents have posted photos on Twitter that show uprooted trees, flooding and broken roofs.
The main airport on Mauritius and cancelled all flights aheads of the storm and the main port has been closed.
Read more: TROPICAL CYCLONE BERGUITTA DAMAGE
8.32pm: Cyclone Berguitta to hit as ‘category 1 hurricane’
Meteorologist Philip Klotzbach has forecast that Berguitta will hit Mauritius as the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane.
He tweeted: “Tropical Cyclone Berguitta is beginning to bear down on Mauritius.
“It has slowly weakened over past couple of days but still estimated to have max winds of 75mph (Southern Hemisphere equivalent of a Cat. 1 hurricane).”
6.25pm: Cyclone Berguitta closes in on Mauritius
At the latest bulletin - 10pm local time, 6pm GMT - Berguitta was centered at about 190km to the North-East of Mauritius, at a wind speed of 8km/h.
Mauritius Meterological services said the severe tropical storm is expected to head in a south-westerly track overnight.
The update read: "On this new trajectory, the severe tropical storm Berguitta will dangerously approach Mauritius and will pass very close to the island tomorrow morning."
Gusts of 120km/h are expected throughout the night and people are being warned to follow precautions and stay safe.
5.45pm: Latest wind speeds
As of 7pm local time, 3pm GMT, Cyclone Berguitta is centered aabout 220km to the North-East of Mauritius and is moving in a general West-South-Westerly direction at a continued speed of about 7 km/h.
Mauritius Meteorological Services's next update is at 10.10pm local time, 6pm GMT time.
5pm: Thousands of people have taken up residence in storm shelters ahead of Cyclone Berguitta’s arrival.
Etienne Sinatambou, the Minister for Environment and also head of the National Crisis Committee, told a news conference this afternoon that 2,000 people were now in 43 storm shelters around the island.
The Central Electricity Board (CEB) said around 300 homes were without electricity.
The economic cost of the cyclone has also been estimated.
Soobiraj Sok Appadu, ex-director of the meteorological service, told a radio station he estimated the cyclone might knock off one to two percentage points from the country's GDP.
Kat Hopps takes over reporting from Vickiie Oliphant
January 17, 2018
2.37pm: Tracking maps suggest Madagascar shoud be safe from Cyclone Berguitta's path
Forecasters expect the storm to pass directly over Mauritius and nearby La Reunion, but the tropical storm is likely to skirt south before having the chance to make landfall on Madagascar.
Tracking models show as the tropical storm passes straight over the island paradises, but veers off from Madagascar at the last minute before curving back into the Indian Ocean.
The new tropical threat comes just after Tropical Cyclone Ava left 36 dead with thousands of others displaced earlier this month in Madagascar.
12.52pm: MMS issued latest alert
Mauritius Meteorological Services issued its latest cyclone bulletin - advising citizens the centre of severe tropical storm Berguitta “continues to approach Mauritius dangerously and may pass very close to the island”.
As of 4pm local time, almost 1pm GMT, the storm is centered at about 240 km to the North-East of Mauritius and is moving in a general West-South-Westerly direction at a speed of about 7 km/h.
The warning read: “The public in Mauritius is advised to complete all precautions and to stay safe.
“Weather in Mauritius will remain cloudy to overcast with intermittent rain. The rain will be moderate to heavy at times with thunderstorms.
“Wind will blow from the South-East at about 50 km/h, strengthening gradually. The gusts may reach 120 km/h in the evening.
“Sea will be high with heavy swells. It is strictly advised not to go out at sea.”
12.07pm: Reunion is bracing for 100mph winds
Reunion has just been placed in pre-alert as Mauritius is under an orange alert ahead of tropical cyclone Berguitta's arrival tonight and into tomorrow.
The Municipality of St Joseph, on the southern coast of the country, has already established a list of 17 centres that will be used in the event emergency accommodation is necessary.
A telephone number has also been set up.
11.05am: Mauritius will be hit by heavy downpors as Cyclone Berguitta approaches
Météo France Reunion forecasts "frequent rains" in the east, south and on the heights of the island.
The effects of the storm’s approach should begin to be felt on Reunion as of Wednesday evening, with the progressive strengthening of the southerly winds, according to La Chaîne Météo.
Mauritius is already feeling the impact of the storm, with trees being felled amid heavy damage.
9.48am: Latest tracking models show patgh of cyclone Berguitta racing towards Mauritius
Latest maps from Windy.com show the tropical storm bearing down on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.
Forecasters expect the storm to pass directly over Mauritius and nearby La Reunion, but to skirt south before making landfall on Madagascar.
Another shocking Tropical Cyclone Berguitta path forecast track, using data from weather company Foreca, showed as the monster storm heading directly toward Mauritius on Tuesday night.
8.17am: Airport and main port closed amid heightened warning
The Airport of Mauritius said it would be closed from 7am (3.00am GMT) until further notice.
The country's main port Port Louis Harbour was also closed. It is the country's principal gateway and handles about 99 percent of the total volume of external trade.
7.14am: Mauritius raised its warning as the potentially dangerous tropical cyclone approaches
Authorities raised their alert to level three as tropical cyclone Berguitta approached with gusts of up to 120 km/h (75 mph).
The island's meteorological services said Berguitta, a category three cyclone, was 210 miles northeast of Mauritius before dawn today and is moving in a southwesterly direction at a 7 km/h (4 mph).
In a statement, they said: "On this trajectory, tropical cyclone Berguitta is dangerously approaching Mauritius and represents a direct threat to the island."
Vickiie Oliphant takes over reporting from Joe Tambini
1.10am: Vacoas weather station says tropical cyclone Berguitta is dangerously close to Mauritius and poses a direct threat to the island.
The Vacoas station warns: "On this trajectory, the tropical cyclone Berguitta is dangerously close to Mauritius and represents a direct threat to the island.”
The public is advised to complete all precautions and to remain safe.
IMERG Reveals Rainfall Rates With Tropical Cyclone #Berguitta 1/12/18 - 1/16/18 https://t.co/iQBcmkuByY pic.twitter.com/ITfyEIWwEC
— NASA Precipitation (@NASARain) January 16, 2018
January 16, 2018
10.43pm: ALU warns students to brace for Berguitta’s arrival
The African Leadership University, which is based in Mauritius, has urged its students to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Berguitta’s imminent arrival.
ALU posted on Twitter: “With Cyclone Berguitta approaching tonight, we ask the ALU community in Mauritius to stay as informed as possible and follow preparatory/caution measures shared via email by the Cyclone Crisis Management Team.
“If you don't understand something, reach out to the team. Stay safe!”
10.27: NASA maps show heavy rain approaching Mauritius
Tropical Cyclone Berguitta is producing dangerous levels of rainfall as it approaches Mauritius and Reunion, NASA maps show.
The animation tweeted by NASA precipitation shows estimates of rainfall rates at half hourly intervals between January 12 - 16.
NASA reports than rainfall rates of greater than 50 mm (1.97 inches) per hour were frequently indicated around the centre of Berguitta, with “intense feeder bands wrapping around the periphery of the tropical cyclone.”
9.07pm: Berguitta could be worst storm since mid-90s, forecaster warns
BBC weatherman Tomasz Schafernaker has warned that Berguitta could be the worst storm to hit Mauritius since the 1990s.
He said: “Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean are bracing themselves for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Berguitta and it could be the most destructive storm since 2002 and possibly since the mid-nineties.
“It looks like the core of the storm is likely to track right across the islands bringing the damaging winds.
“There’s already been a lot of heavy rain in the area and the weather is only going to get worse through the course of Wednesday and into Thursday."
Reunion Island braces for incoming tropical cyclone Berguitta
8.34pm: UK Government urges Brits in Mauritius to “monitor” Berguitta
The British Government has warned citizens in Mauritius that Tropical Cyclone
Berguitta will bring “hazardous sea and weather conditions” to the area in the coming days.
A statement on its travel advice page said: “Tropical Cyclone Berguitta is forecast to bring hazardous sea and weather conditions to Mauritius from around 17 January 2018.
“You should monitor the progress of approaching storms and follow the advice of the local authorities, including any evacuation orders.”
8.17pm: Terrifying map shows Berguitta closing in on Mauritius
Latest maps from Windy.com show Tropical Cyclone Berguitta bearing down on Mauritius near Madagascar.
Forecasters expect the storm to pass directly over Mauritius and nearby La Reunion, but to skirt south before making landfall on Madagascar.
8pm: Joe Tambini takes over live reporting from Kat Hopps.
7.30pm: Flights to Mauritius cancelled
South African Airways has cancelled flights from Johannesburg to Mauritius as Cyclone Berguitta continues to rage.
The airline normally operates a daily flight to the island and two flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
In a statement SAA said: “South African Airways (SAA) advises all customers that the adverse weather conditions as a result of the Cyclone Berguitta will affect the following flight schedules to and from Mauritius, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport.”
Passengers are being offered assistance and will be able to book on to another SAA flight at another date depending on availability.
7.20pm: NASA satellite spots Tropical Cyclone Berguitta passing over Southern Indian Ocean
NASA has reported seeing Cyclone Berguitta heading toward Mauritius.
The space agency tweeted: "NASA Terra satellite passed over the Southern Indian Ocean and saw Tropical Cyclone Berguitta moving southwest toward the island of Mauritius."
Met Office storms issued a bleak warning on Twitter saying that Berguitta "looks likely to be the strongest cyclone to pass close to #Mauritius and #LaReunion since Cyclone Dina in 2002 which caused devastation on the islands.
6pm: Met Office predicts 80mph winds with storm surge when Cyclone Berguitta hits land
The Met Office says winds of between 70mph and 80mph will batter the islands of Mauritius and La Réunion when Berguitta hits in 24 hours' time.
The cyclone is expected to dump 300mm to 400mm of rainfall and cause a large rise in sea levels known as a storm surge.
The Met Office tweeted: "Intense tropical cyclone #Berguitta will move southwest to affect the islands of Mauritius and La Reunion over the next 24 hours or so, bringing damaging wind and flooding rain."
A spokesman said the most recent wind levels earlier today were 85mph, a drop from a few hours earlier when they were above 100mph.
4.40pm: Red Cross puts Mauritius and La Réunion on high alert and activates its disaster response ahead of cyclone's arrival
Mauritius and La Réunion have been placed on high alert by internatonal aid agency Red Cross as Tropical Cyclone Berguitta moves ever closer across the southern Indian ocean.
Branch response teams are said to be readying their response plans with volunteers on standby to distribute relief items and provide support to communities once the cyclone hits.
Andreas Sandin, Coordinator for emergency operations for Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, said: “This dangerous cyclone puts at risk hundreds of lives in Mauritius and La Réunion.
"Our teams in both countries are prepositioning relief items to support communities who may need food, shelter and first aid services.”
4.30pm: Kat Hopps takes over live reporting from Vickiie Oliphant.
3.50pm: Tropical cyclone Berguitta will be a 'very dangerous' storm
AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Douty warned that despite some recent weakening, cyclone Berguitta is still a very dangerous tropical cyclone.
He said: "Some strengthening is possible as the cyclone approaches Mauritius."
Mauritius and La Reunion will be hit with widespread life-threatening impacts if the storm maintains its current strength or any additional strengthening.
Currently, the storm is at tropical cyclone strength based on the southwestern Indian Ocean scale - making it equal to a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic or east Pacific oceans.
1.04pm: Cyclone Berguitta could spark a category 3 alert in Mauritius by 4am local time on Wednesday
If Berguitta maintains its trajectory, Mauritius could go launch a level 3 alert on Wednesday, January 17 at 4am, according to a crisis committee chaired this afternoon by the Minister Etienne Sinatambou.
In a statement, the prefecture reminded citizens the cyclone pre-alert is still in force.
A statement said: "The weather will deteriorate in the coming hours, starting the night of Tuesday 16 to Wednesday 17 January."
12.30pm: Tourists have been advised to check with their airlines amid flight cancellations
Given the weather forecasts, some airlines have changed their flight plans for the coming week.
If anyone has to travel in the hours and days ahead, they are being advised to contact their airline.
11.41am: Intense tropical storm to hit Mauritius on Wednesday
The intense tropical cyclone Berguitta is forecast to strike Mauritius as a tropical cyclone at about 6pm GMT on Wednesday, January 17, moving into the morning of Thursday, January 18 when the majority of the island will have been hit.
La Reunion is expected to be hit at 8am on Thursday, January 18 with winds of 140km/h.
Data supplied by the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center suggests the point of landfall in Mauritius will be near 19.9 S, 58.0 E.
11.03am: Berguitta's satellite imagery suggests the tropical cyclone has the power of a category 4 hurricane
Cody Fields tweeted: "#Berguitta has made the most out of the environment and its satellite presentation resembles that of a Category 4 hurricane. Very bad news for Réunion and Mauritius."
10.55am: Tropical Cyclone Berguitta has been upgraded to a category 2 storm as it heads towards Mauritius
The storm is currently over open water in the Indian Ocean, with sustained winds of 140 kilometres per hour and wave heights of more than seven metres.
But forecasts suggest tropical cyclone Berguitta will track inland toward the southwest this week, hitting Mauritius on Thursday.
And as Berguitta continues to feed off the warm waters of Indian Ocean, it will intensify into the equivalent of a Category 3 system, with sustained winds of 185km/h.
On Tuesday, the cyclone was upgraded to a category two storm - with further intensification expected this week.
The Met Office tweeted: "Cyclone #Berguitta looks likely to be the strongest cyclone to pass close to #Mauritius and #LaReunion since Cyclone Dina in 2002 which caused devastation on the islands."
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