As a powerful tropical cyclone moved toward the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius on Thursday, the meteorological services reported that flights had been canceled and schools had been closed.

As of 4:00 am (GMT +4), Storm Eleanor was around 200 kilometers (125 miles) northeast of the country and was traveling at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour, according to the weather agency.

“The wind will initially blow from the south-east at a speed of around 40 km/h reaching 110 km/h by midday, strengthening to over 120 km/h,” as stated in a bulletin.

The nation’s primary airport operator said that it will cease operations, and Air Mauritius, the national airline, canceled flights that were supposed to depart on Thursday morning.

All means of transportation was also halted and schools shutdown.

The isolated island nation, well-known for its breathtaking white sand beaches and azure waters, is occasionally battered by cyclones.

One person lost their life in January due to tropical storm Belal, which also left thousands without electricity, flooded buildings, and caused traffic jams.

The southwest Indian Ocean experiences about a dozen storms or cyclones annually from November to April.

Cyclone Freddy’s strong winds and torrential rains in February of last year devastated Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, and other parts of southeast Africa. Cyclone Freddy also left significant rains on Mauritius.