Cyclone Dumile Class 2 !! UPDATED

First post of 2013 and the weather is already giving us a glimpse of how this year will be. In a word, it will be "cyclonic". Let's not drift away from the main topic for the moment. The cyclonic winds and rains have already hit Mauritius since yesterday (01.01.13) and it has been raining for the past 28 hours already. This is not a bad thing at all for our water reserves.

UPDATE 16h00 02/01/2013

A CYCLONE WARNING CLASS 2 IS IN FORCE IN MAURITIUS.
The cyclone is intensifying and coming closer to the Island. A cyclone warning Class 2 is now in force in Mauritius.

SECOND CYCLONE BULLETIN ISSUED AT 1600 HRS ON WEDNESDAY 02 JANUARY 2013.
SEVERE TROPICAL STORM DUMILE WAS CENTERED AT 1600 HRS NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 DEGREES SOUTH AND LONGITUDE 55.1 DEGREES EAST, THAT IS AT ABOUT 450 KM TO THE NORTH NORTH WEST OF MAURITIUS. DUMILE IS MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTH SOUTH WEST AT AN ACCELERATED SPEED OF ABOUT 20 KMPH. ON THIS TRAJECTORY, DUMILE CONTINUES TO APPROACH MAURITIUS AND REMAINS A POTENTIAL THREAT. SINCE DUMILE IS EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE AND INTENSIFY FURTHER, A CYCLONE WARNING CLASS II IS IN FORCE IN MAURITIUS.
A SLIGHT CHANGE IN ITS TRAJECTORY TOWARDS THE SOUTH WILL BRING THE CENTRE CLOSER TO MAURITIUS AND THE PUBLIC IS THEREFORE ADVISED TO TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS.
WEATHER WILL REMAIN OVERCAST WITH INTERMITTENT SHOWERS, HEAVY AND THUNDERY AT TIMES, MORE FREQUENT OVER THE CENTRAL PLATEAU.
WATER ACCUMULATION IN SOME PLACES ARE EXPECTED. THE PUBLIC IS
ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE NEAR RIVERS AND OTHER WATER COURSES.
WIND EASTERLY 40 KM/H WITH GUSTS OF THE ORDER OF 80 KMPH,
STRENGHTENING TONIGHT TO REACH ABOUT 110 KMPH TOMORROW MORNING.
SEA WILL REMAIN HIGH WITH SWELLS.
BEACHES WILL EXPERIENCE STORM SURGES. IT IS ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE IN THE OPEN SEAS AS WELL AS IN LAGOONS AND TO STAY AWAY FROM BEACHES.
NEXT BULLETIN WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 22H00 HOURS.
A CYCLONE WARNING CLASS II IS IN FORCE IN MAURITIUS.
A CYCLONE WARNING CLASS II IS IN FORCE IN MAURITIUS.

UPDATE

Courtesy of http://www.mtotec.com

A CYCLONE WARNING CLASS 1 IS IN FORCE IN MAURITIUS. As you can see on the above diagram the cyclone has changed its trajectory to a complete south direction and could as well go south south east which would bring its centre closer to Mauritius. 

Please check out below the latest cyclone bulletin from the Mauritius Meteorological Services:

WEATHER NEWS FOR MAURITIUS ISSUED AT 05H10 ON WEDNESDAY 02 JANUARY 2013. GENERAL SITUATION: (A) THE MODERATE TROPICAL STORM `DUMILE` HAS INTENSIFIED INTO A SEVERE TROPICAL STORM. AT 04H00 SEVERE TROPICAL STORM `DUMILE` WAS CENTRED IN LATITUDE 13.5 DEGREES SOUTH AND LONGITUDE 55.6 DEGREES EAST. IT IS MOVING IN A GENERAL SOUTH WESTERLY DIRECTION AT ABOUT 15 KM/H. (B) OUR REGION REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ACTIVE CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INSTABILITY ZONE. FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HOURS : CLOUDY TO OVERCAST WITH SHOWERS, MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES. THERE IS ALSO RISKS OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. FOG PATCHES WILL ALSO BE PRESENT IN CERTAIN PLACES. WIND EASTERLY NORTH EASTERLY TURNING GRADUALLY TO NORTH EASTERLY 35 TO 40 KM/H WITH GUSTS OF THE ORDER OF 80 KM/H. SEA ROUGH BEYOND THE REEFS . VENTURES IN THE OPEN SEAS AS WELL AS IN LAGOONS ARE STRICTLY NOT ADVISED. THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OVER THE CENTRAL PLATEAU WILL BE ABOUT 25 DEGREES CELSIUS AND THE MINIMUM ABOUT 20 DEGREES CELSIUS. ALONG THE COASTAL REGIONS, THE MAXIMUM WILL VARY BETWEEN 26 AND 28 DEGREES CELSIUS AND THE MINIMUM BETWEEN 22 AND 25 DEGREES CELSIUS. HIGH TIDES : 15H25 AND TOMORROW 04H25. LOW TIDES : 09H49 AND 21H51. SUNRISE : 05H34. SUNSET : 18H54. ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT 04H00: 1009 HECTOPASCALS.

Courtesy of http://www.mtotec.com

I would like to point out that unless cyclonic warnings are enforced on the island, the refugee centers will not be opened. Then, where are those who do not have a roof over their heads, those who normally sleep in the gardens and streets of Port Louis go to hide against the cold and rain ?. 

I can only wish right now that something is being done to help them in those dire situations.

Keep Tuned, will get you updated if things get worse around here !