User:Hurricanehink/sandbox2
| Tropical cyclone (SWIO scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
 Satellite image of Cyclone Gervaise | |
| Formed | February 2, 1975 |
| Dissipated | February 10, 1975 |
| Highest winds | 10-minute sustained: 120 km/h (75 mph) 1-minute sustained: 140 km/h (85 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 951 hPa (mbar); 28.08 inHg |
| Fatalities | 10 direct |
| Areas affected | Mascarene Islands |
| Part of the 1974–75 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclone Gervaise
Meteorological history[edit]
Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
Unknown
Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depressionThe origins of Cyclone Gervaise were in early February 1975 from a circular area of convection, or thunderstorms, located in the intertropical convergence zone southwest of Diego Garcia in the south-west Indian Ocean. The system organized as it moved generally to the southwest, a trajectory it would maintain for several days due to a subtropical ridge to its southeast, and an area of low pressure near the Mascarene Islands. On February 2, the Mauritius Meteorological Services[nb 1] named the storm Gervaise. Two days later, the storm attained hurricane status, or maximum sustained winds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph).[2]
Late on February 5, Gervaise passed about 100 km (60 mi) southeast of St. Brandon. Continuing southwestward, the cyclone struck Mauritius on February 6, with the calm of the eye lasting for three hours. That day, the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)[nb 2] estimated peak winds of 130 km/h (85 mp).[3] On February 7, Gervaise passed about 130 km (80 mi) southeast of Réunion. The track shifted to the south and southeast over time, steered by a passing cold front. On February 10, Gervaise dissipated within the cold front.[2]
Preparations and impact[edit]
Gervaise first affected St. Brandon, producing wind gusts of over 100 km/h (62 mph), along with heavy rainfall.[2]
Cyclone Gervaise killed 10 people during its passage of Mauritius. Its strongest wind gusts occurred after the passage of the eye, peaking at 280 km/h (170 mph) at Mon Desert.[2] This was the highest recorded wind gust recorded on Mauritius.[4][5] Heavy rainfall affected the island for several days, reaching 674 mm (26.5 in) at Grosse Roche. The high winds knocked down power lines, radio transmission with Vacoas for 24 hours, and many crops. About 25% of the island's sugar cane crop was lost.[2] Gervaise destroyed about 13,000 houses,[6] leaving thousands homeless.[2]
The cyclone last affected Réunion, where it produced wind gusts of 180 km/h (110 mph). Gervaise also dropped heavy rainfall on the island, reaching 548 mm (21.6 in) at Plaine des Cafres.[2]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Météo-France's meteorological office in Réunion (MFR) is the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Center for the South-West Indian Ocean, tracking all tropical cyclones from the east coast of Africa to 90° E. The Mauritius Meteorological Office is responsible for naming storms in the eastern east of 55° E.[1]
- ^ The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force that issues advisories for storms in the basin.
References[edit]
- ^ Philippe Caroff; et al. (April 2011). Operational procedures of TC satellite analysis at RSMC La Reunion (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hurricane Gervaise, 1-9 February. National Climatic Data Center (Report). Global tropical/extratropical cyclone climatic atlas. 1996. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Kenneth R. Knapp; Michael C. Kruk; David H. Levinson; Howard J. Diamond; Charles J. Neumann (2010). 1975 20S:Gervaise (1975033S11073). The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data (Report). Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "List of Historical Cyclones". Mauritius Meteorological Services. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Environmental Impact Statement Proposed Cellular Base Station at Reduit Triangle (PDF) (Report). Mauritius Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development. January 2015. p. 25. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Sandra Evers, Marry Kooy (2011). Eviction from the Chagos Islands: Displacement and Struggle for Identity Against Two World Powers (Report). BRILL. p. 91.