Mauritius cyclone tracker: SHOCK map shows EYE of charging vortex as it WREAKS destruction

Cyclone Gelena has just skimmed over the northern coast of the island of Rodrigues, carrying with it the strength of a category-2 storm. At its height, Gelena was carrying powerful 109mph winds but caused no deaths or serious injury. However, the storm was able to cause widespread infrastructure damage, bringing power cuts to 90 percent of Mauritius residents. According to the Mauritius Meteorological Survey (MMS), the system has now weakened to a tropical storm and passed into the open ocean.

Since the storm began to whip up severe winds topping 100mph, Cyclone Gelena has caused widespread destruction on the island of Mauritius.

Although death and injury were avoided, the high winds forced 100 people into emergency shelters and scattered debris on the roads.

Some 40,000 residents are thought to have been affected by the storm’s effects and authorities have now tentatively begun cleanup operations.

Gelena has moved off the coast of Mauritius but still looms nearby according to the Mauritius Meteorological Survey (MMS).

READ MORE: Where is cyclone Gelena now?

The MMS released their latest advisory this morning, placing Gelena off the coast of Mauritius.

They said: “During the night, GELENA has weakened into a severe tropical storm.

“At 4am this morning (12am GMT), it was centred around 1100 km (683 miles) to the East-South-East of Mauritius.”

Despite weakening considerably from its height now, the storm is still a very clear vortex on weather maps.

READ MORE: Cyclone Gelena spaghetti models

Currently, storm Gelena is spinning with maximum hurricane-force winds of 85mph.

According to the Saffir-Simpson scale, this is a category one hurricane, the weakest of its kind.

As Gelena moves on its path out towards the east, it will continue to weaken until it eventually dissipates away from civilisation.

The MMS is still warning against travel out to sea, however, as rough seas are carrying swells of up to three metres high.

READ MORE: Rodrigues SMASHED by cyclone Gelena

The MMS says: “Sea rough beyond the reefs with Southerly swells of the order of 3 meters, subsiding gradually in the afternoon.

“Ventures in the open sea as well as in the southern and eastern lagoons are not advised.”

The only inclement weather over Mauritius today will be localised showers on the high ground.

The rest of Mauritius will see a return to baking temperatures of 33 degrees maximum.

source: express.co.uk