Cyclone Garance slammed into the French overseas territory of La Reunion with top wind speeds of 155 kph (96 mph) on Friday, blowing away roofs and cutting power and access to drinking water for many residents.

Winds of up to 230 kilometers per hour battered the French Indian Ocean territory of 900,000 people. The storm earlier forced the closure of the main airport on nearby Mauritius

Tropical cyclone Garance intensifies as it approaches Reunion Island, prompting severe weather warnings, while tropical storm Honde poses additional threats to Madagascar.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged residents to be vigilant and respect safety instructions on Thursday as cyclone Garance headed for the island, with gusts exceeding 200 kph (124 mph).

Réunion island issued its highest level of threat warning as the French Indian Ocean territory braced for a direct hit by a cyclone packing gusts likely to exceed 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour).

Cyclone Garance, a category 3 cyclone carrying gusts of up to 70 kilometers an hour, was on Thursday deemed a "direct threat" to the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and La Reunion, placing both countries on high alert and prompting a race to stockpile of essentials.

Residents of the Indian Ocean islands Mauritius and La Reunion rushed to stockpile essential items on Thursday, as Cyclone Garance approached the two territories. The storm, which is expected to pass 50 kilometers from La Reunion's shores,