SAINT-DENIS DE LA REUNION, Feb 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Authorities in La Reunion put the Indian Ocean island on its highest "purple alert" Friday as a cyclone bore down threatening a "direct impact".

"Faced with a direct impact, with winds gusting to more than 200 km/h (around 125 miles per hour), the prefect will trigger the purple alert," authorities said in a press release published on X.

La Reunion and nearby Mauritius -- around 225 kilometres (140 miles) to the northeast -- have been on high alert since Wednesday as Cyclone Garance neared the popular tourist destinations.

Mauritius shut its main airport on Wednesday, while La Reunion did the same on Thursday.

Weather service Meteo-France warned there could be a "direct impact" on La Reunion urging the population of around 900,000 to stay indoors.