Mauritius Closes Sole Airport Due to Tropical Storm Garance Threat

Mauritius will close its sole airport due to a Class III cyclone warning from the meteorological services as tropical storm Garance approaches. The airport closure is indefinite and follows a public holiday where numbers of non-essential services remain inactive. Garance is expected to become a tropical cyclone, with severe winds posing a risk to the island. Recent dry conditions have led to water usage restrictions.

Mauritius will close its only airport starting Wednesday evening due to a Class III cyclone warning issued by the country’s meteorological services, marking a significant weather alert for the current summer season. The airport’s closure is indefinite and will be reassessed based on ongoing evaluations of the storm’s impact. This closure comes during a public holiday when non-essential services like banks and the stock exchange are already shut down.

The tropical storm named Garance, located off the northwestern coast of Mauritius, is anticipated to escalate to tropical-cyclone intensity, with winds projected to reach up to 165 kilometers per hour (102 miles per hour). The meteorological department warned that Garance poses a direct threat to the island, necessitating these safety precautions.

January typically sees heavy rainfall for Mauritius, but this year it has been markedly dry—recording only 30% of the usual precipitation, making it the second driest January in 25 years. This unusual weather pattern has led to significant reductions in water levels across major reservoirs, prompting the government to impose restrictions on non-essential water usage.

In summary, Mauritius has enacted the closure of its single airport in response to the intensifying tropical storm Garance, now under a Class III cyclone warning. This storm is forecasted to bring severe winds, posing a direct threat to the island. The country’s recent dry conditions have heightened concerns regarding water levels, necessitating ongoing restrictions on usage until further notice.

Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com