Mauritius shuts main airport as precaution over cyclone

Mauritius has shut down its international airport after the government's weather department issued a category 3 cyclone warning for the Indian Ocean islands, the airport's operator said on Wednesday.

The airport will close from 1910 local time (1510 GMT), Airports of Mauritius Ltd said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Mauritius Meteorological Services announced the class 3 cyclone warning, saying tropical storm Garance, about 440 kilometres (273.4 miles) northwest of Mauritius, was intensifying.

It said winds with speeds as high as 70 kilometres per hour were expected early on Thursday and asked the public to stay away from the sea.

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