Cyclone season: understanding warnings
Cyclone warning classes I to IV, what to do at each stage and where to get updates.
Know the season
Cyclone season broadly runs from November to mid-May, peaking from January to March. Official warnings are issued by the Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS).
Class I: get prepared
Issued about 36 to 48 hours before gusts of 120 km/h are possible. Life goes on: stock up (water, tinned food, batteries, torch, radio), fill the fuel tank and secure outdoor items.
Class II: finish preparations
Issued about 12 daylight hours before gusts of 120 km/h; schools close. Finish preparing, park the car under solid cover and store drinking water.
Class III: stay home
Issued about 6 daylight hours before gusts of 120 km/h. Close shutters and doors and stay indoors; if your home is unsafe, move to an emergency shelter early.
Class IV: the cyclone is here
Gusts of 120 km/h or more are being recorded. Stay in the strongest room, away from windows; the calm of the eye is deceptive and winds return from the opposite direction.
Wait for the all-clear
Only go out after the official termination is announced. Hazards remain: fallen cables, blocked roads, flooding. Warning classes do not always follow in order.
Where to get updates
MMS website (metservice.intnet.mu), the 171 weather phone line, and national radio and TV (MBC). Visitors should follow their hotel's instructions; during a warning you must stay indoors and car insurance is often void.