Tropical cyclone Emnati en route to Madagascar
Intense tropical cyclone Emnati is 330km northwest of St Denis, Mauritius
Just two weeks after Madagascar was battered by intense tropical cyclone Batsirai, residents are bracing for another, which is set to make landfall this week.
Intense tropical cyclone Emnati is, as of 8am today (Monday), 330km northwest of St Denis, Mauritius, and had moved westward at 11km/h the previous six hours.
According to weather tracking by the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC), Emnati is forecast to track west-southwest to southwest over the next two days.
As posted on the Severe Weather and Information Centre SA (SWAICSA) Facebook page, there is significant uncertainty about the intensity forecast in the coming 12 hours with a slight weakening possible.
Beyond that, the system is expected to re-intensify to a peak of 220km/h.
After 24 hours, Emnati is expected to steadily weaken with increasing interaction with land as the system approaches Madagascar.
This is a dangerous system, bringing damaging winds, heavy rains, storm surge, rough seas, mudslides and flash flooding.
At this stage, it is too early to forecast whether or not Emnati will make landfall in South Africa.
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