from HANSLEY NABAB in Port Louis, Mauritius
Mauritius Bureau
PORT LOUIS, (CAJ News) – TROPICAL Cyclone Bheki is the latest phenomenon to impact the Indian Ocean island nations.
Most of these cyclones have made landfall with devastating effect in recent years, and while the latest seems weaker, flooding cannot be ruled out.
At the time of publishing, Bheki was tracking south-southwestward in the western Indian Ocean and as of the afternoon, its centre of circulation was approximately 1 298 km east of Port Louis, Mauritius’ capital city.
The system was forecast to weaken into a severe and then moderate tropical storm as it continued its track south-to-southwestward across the western Indian Ocean, before passing the north of Rodrigues Island.
Bheki is projected to weaken as it continues to track and pass south of mainland Mauritius on Thursday, before it transitions into a tropical depression.
That is before it tracks southwestward and passes close to the southeast of Reunion on Thursday, it would further track to the Mascarene Islands through Friday.
Crisis24 forecast some uncertainty in the track and intensity forecast.
“Significant changes could occur in the coming days,” the security think-tank stated.
Sustained heavy rainfall could trigger flooding in low-lying areas and those with easily overwhelmed drainage systems are forecast.
Localised evacuations, flash flooding and landslides remain possible and inclement weather could trigger business, transport, and utility disruptions, rendering some transport routes impassable.
Flight disruptions at regional airports and temporary closures of ports remain possible.
The Mauritius Meteorological Service has issued a class one cyclone warning for Rodrigues Island. The warning is out of four. Rodrigues is closest to the epicentre, at 675km.
– CAJ News