France’s Reunion Island on high alert as Cyclone Belal hits

Hundreds of thousands of people on France’s Reunion Island were confined to their homes Monday, as authorities issued the highest alert for a potentially devastating storm. Cyclone Belal hit the French Indian Ocean island on Monday, moving in from the northwest packing « extreme winds », according to Meteo-France. « The eye of the storm is passing over the Reunion Island, starting from the northern part, » the meteorological service said in its latest public bulletin.