Tropical Cyclone Bansi continued to intensify rapidly on Monday and it is now the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.  At 4:00 p.m. EST on Monday the center of Tropical Cyclone Bansi was located at latitude 17.6°S and longitude 57.2°E which put it about 175 miles north of Port Louis, Mauritius and about 225 miles north-northeast of Saint Denis, La Réunion.  Bansi was moving toward the east-southeast at 4 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. and it was estimated that there could be wind gusts to 185 m.p.h.  The minimum surface pressure was estimated to be 926 mb.

Bansi has been in a nearly perfect environment for rapid intensification of a tropical cyclone.  The Sea Surface Temperature is near 30°C, which means there is plenty of energy in the upper ocean.  The upper level winds are light and that has allowed convection near the center of circulation to drive strong upper level divergence.  The upper level divergence has pumped out mass and the pressure has fallen rapidly.  The circulation around Bansi is very symmetrical and there is a well developed eye that is visible on satellite imagery.  The environment around Bansi is expected to remain favorable for intensification and it is possible that it could reach the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane.  Eyewall replacement cycles are common in strong hurricanes and if they develop they can cause periodic fluctuations in intensity.  Eventually,when Bansi moves toward higher latitudes, wind shear will increase and it will begin to weaken.

As the upper level winds around Bansi have diminished, the steering currents have weakened.  Bansi is expected to move slowly in a generally east-southeasterly direction for the next 24 to 48 hours.  The projected path would take the center northeast of Mauritius.  Eventually, a subtropical ridge is expected to strengthen and accelerate Bansi toward the southeast.  If a sharper southeasterly turn occurs, that would bring the center of Bansi closer to Mauritius.