Indian Ocean island of Reunion braces for cyclone

SAINT-DENIS-DE-LA-REUNION, France, Feb 27 (Reuters) Authorities in the Indian Ocean island of Reunion issued their second highest weather alert today and said they could go to a full red alert as an offshore cyclone headed for the coast.

The prefecture on the French-ruled island issued an orange alert, one step down from red, as forecasters predicted that Cyclone Gamede would pass less than 200 km from the island's west coast by late afternoon.

A statement from the prefecture said the alert would be lifted to red, a measure forbidding normal traffic, by the afternoon if the forecasts were confirmed.

Heavy storms over recent days caused rivers across the island to swell their banks and cut off roads in several areas, although the cyclone had appeared to be moving away from the island before changing direction overnight.

Weather forecasters predicted winds of up to 120 km per hour off the northwest coast of the island.

REUTERS MS VC1640