DENIS, La Reunion, France (Reuters) -At least three people died when cyclone Garance slammed into the French overseas territory of La Reunion on Friday with wind speeds of up to 155 kph (96 mph), Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said.

Tropical Cyclone Garance hit the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, bringing heavy rain and winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph) that caused floods and damage to buildings.

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).