Travel alert issued as severe tropical cyclone shuts Mauritius airport

The international airport in Mauritius has been shut and flights cancelled amid severe tropical storm warning.

The Foreign Office updated its travel advice to the Indian Ocean island as the airport was temporarily closed until further notice.

Air Mauritius cancelled flights from Gatwick and Paris and shut its ticket office in the capital of Port Louis today (Thursday) due to the risk of heavy rain. Other services have also been cancelled or delayed.

“Due to severe Tropical Storm Eleanor, the weather in Mauritius is expected to deteriorate over the coming days,” the Foreign Office said.

“Take precautions, and follow instructions and updates from local authorities closely.”

Airports of Mauritius advised passengers to contact airlines for further information on the status of flights and not to proceed to the airport unless receiving confirmation of the revised departure time.

The island’s SSR International airport was forced to close a month ago as a previous cyclone struck Mauritius.