The Indian Ocean tourist meccas of Mauritius and La Reunion braced Thursday for an intense tropical storm, Cyclone Garance, which was labelled a "direct threat" to the islands. Mauritius shut its main airport the previous day, while the nearby French island of La Reunion was set to do the same on Thursday.

The Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and La Reunion were on high alert on Thursday for an intense tropical storm, Cyclone Garance, which was

The international airport of Mauritius was shut down Wednesday following a class 3 cyclone alert, Air Mauritius said in a statement.

The sole airport in Mauritius is scheduled to shut down from Wednesday evening until further notice after the country’s meteorological services raised a cyclone warning to Class III for the first time in the current summer season.