The Indian Ocean tourist meccas of Mauritius and La Reunion braced Thursday for an intense tropical storm, Cyclone Garance, which was labelled a "direct threat" to the islands. Mauritius shut its main airport the previous day, while the nearby French island of La Reunion was set to do the same on Thursday.

Tropical cyclone Garance intensifies as it approaches Reunion Island, prompting severe weather warnings, while tropical storm Honde poses additional threats to Madagascar.

The sole airport in Mauritius is scheduled to shut down from Wednesday evening until further notice after the country’s meteorological services raised a cyclone warning to Class III for the first time in the current summer season.

The international airport of Mauritius was shut down Wednesday following a class 3 cyclone alert, Air Mauritius said in a statement.

A tropical storm has forced the closure of Mauritius international airport. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International airport will be closed from 7pm local time on February 26 “until further notice,” the Foreign Office warned. An updated travel advisory said: “A cyclone warning is currently in force in Mauritius.

The Mauritius Meteorological Service has issued a Class 3 cyclone warning for the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and La Reunion. Both islands remain on high alert as Cyclone Garance is expected to

The country’s meteorological services raised a cyclone warning to Class III for the first time in the current summer season