Red alert in effect as Cyclone Garance threatens France’s Reunion Island

​​​​​​​By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) – Authorities on the French Indian Ocean territory of Reunion Island issued a red alert Thursday as Cyclone Garance approaches with strong winds and heavy rain.

Reunion Island announced that the alert level was raised to red from 7 p.m. local time due to the storm, which is classified as an "intense tropical storm," the Le Parisien newspaper reported.

The warning follows a similar move by neighboring Mauritius, which shut its main airport as the storm intensifies.

France’s national meteorological agency, Meteo-France, warns that the cyclone is "dangerously approaching" Reunion and poses a "direct threat."

Gusts exceeding 150 kilometers per hour (92 miles per hour) are expected on the island’s highest areas, along with heavy rain and rough seas. Residents are urged to stay indoors, as the alert restricts movement to only emergency services.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said as a precautionary measure, 100 firefighters are deployed from the neighboring French territory of Mayotte to Reunion, and additional reinforcements from mainland France could be sent, if necessary.

Flights are disrupted across the region, with Air Mauritius suspending all flights "until further notice."

Reunion’s airport is also set to close as the storm moves closer.

In December, Cyclone Chido causes massive destruction on Mayotte Island, resulting in dozens of fatalities. Officials now brace for similar effects as Garance reaches peak intensity.