Heavy Showers Expected in the Next Hours, Class 3 Warning Maintained

As intense tropic cyclone Cyclone Garance bears down on Mauritius, and the Met Station has maintained a Cyclone Class 3 Warning, residents are bracing for significant rainfall in the coming hours. The Mauritius Met Office predicts that the storm’s clouds will bring intense showers, particularly to the northern, northwestern, and western regions of the island.

Latest satellite and radar imageries indicate that Garance is still an intense tropical cyclone. It is a small core system with gusts exceeding 250 km/h very near to its centre.

At 4pm on 27 February 2025, Garance was centered at about 275 km to the north-west of Mauritius, in latitude 18.6 degrees south and longitude 55.3 degrees east. Over the last hours, it has started to move towards the south at 08 km/h.  

Pravin Rughoo from the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has issued a stern warning, urging those in vulnerable areas to exercise utmost caution.

Heavy Showers: Vulnerable Areas

He specifically highlighted locations such as Baie-du-Tombeau, Canal Dayot, Port-Louis, Flic-en-Flac, Bambous, and Albion, where the risk of flooding is heightened.

“Make sure your drainage systems are functioning properly,” Rughoo implored, as concerns for safety escalate.

Should the situation worsen, he strongly advised residents to seek refuge in higher ground.

Wind will blow from the north-east at a speed of about 40 km/h with gusts of the order of 100 km/h, strengthening gradually.

Sea very rough with swells of the order of 5 to 7 metres. Storm surge will also cause coastal inundation along the northern and western coasts. The public is advised not to venture at sea and along beaches.

Source: Le Mauricien, Met Office