Island on cyclone alert

The Mauritian weather service issued a cyclone alert for the island nation on 4 February 2009. As of 0500 UTC, Tropical Cyclone Gael was a class 2 cyclone located approximately 236 mi/380 km northeast of the island and moving at a speed of 11 mph/10 kt. Gael is expected to intensify over the course of the day. Although it is not yet clear if the cyclone will make landfall, weather conditions on the island will be very poor until the storm passes. Authorities have called on residents to take the necessary precautions.