PORT LOUIS, Feb 20 (Reuters) – Mauritius on Monday grounded flights and shut its stock exchange as Tropical Cyclone Freddy approached, posing a “direct threat” to the Indian Ocean island.

A Class III cyclone warning was in force in Mauritius, allowing about six hours of daylight before the occurrence of wind gusts of 120 kilometres per hour.

Mauritius, along with other Indian Ocean countries like Madagascar and African coastal nations like Mozambique, is regularly affected by severe storms and cyclones capable of destroying homes, infrastructure and crops.

Its weather service said in a bulletin issued at 1010 local time (0610 GMT) that at its closest distance, Freddy may pass at about 120 km (75 miles) to the north-northwest of the island late in the afternoon, saying it represented a direct threat.

“As Freddy approaches Mauritius, (a) storm surge is likely to cause coastal inundation in risk areas. It is, therefore, strictly advised not to go at sea,” the bulletin said.

(Reporting by Villen Anganan; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alexander Winning and Bernadette Baum)