Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Mauritius on Tuesday removed a maximum cyclone alert warning.
This is because it assessed the devastation following the tropical storm Belal.
Mahebourg experienced turbulent weather due to the Cyclone Belal.
Heavy flooding hit Mauritius on January 15, 2024. The tropical cyclone was “dangerously approaching” the Indian Ocean island nation after battering the French overseas territory of Reunion.
Tourism hub Mauritius lifts maximum cyclone alert after storm Belal wreaks havoc with flights cancellation.
Belal has claimed the life of one person in the remote paradise island, left thousands without power.
It caused traffic chaos with numerous cars submerged under floodwaters or piled up on streets.
The Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) said a “safety bulletin” was now in force as Belal was moving away from Mauritius, three hours after announcing it was raising its alert to four, the maximum level.
The government on Monday had ordered inhabitants to stay indoors, but they eased restriction on Tuesday.
The MMS instead saying in a 0610 GMT update that the public should maintain precaution and stay in safe places.
The National Emergency Operations Command warned that winds of 80 kilometres (50 miles) an hour may lash upon.
Waves of up to seven metres (23 feet) may be posing a risk of flooding in low-altitude areas.
Police said they found the body of a motorcyclist on a flooded highway, the victim of a road accident.
Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, in a statement on national television on Monday, confirmed one fatality.
Belal had already battered the French overseas territory of Reunion, leaving one person dead.
The authorities there announced that its red alert would be lifted on Tuesday.
They closed international airport in Mauritius on Monday.
Air Mauritius announced that they scheduled several flights for Tuesday.
In its update, the MMS said Belal was about 210 kilometres (13 miles) off Blue Bay, which lies on the southeast of Mauritius.
The Central Electricity Board said 8,400 people in Mauritius, which has a population of almost 1.3 million, were without power.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism accounted for almost a quarter of Mauritius’ GDP, with tourists wooed by its spectacular white beaches and turquoise waters.
About a dozen storms or cyclones occur each year in the southwest Indian Ocean during the November-April season.
In February last year, heavy rains and high winds from Cyclone Freddy, lashed Mauritius.
It caused a wave of death and destruction in southeastern Africa including Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
