Heavy rain battered homes as Tropical Cyclone Batsirai grazed Reunion island in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, February 3.

Footage shows a torrential downpour and strong winds hitting the French island located 180 kilometres west of Mauritius in East Africa.

Reunion was placed on red alert - the third most severe hurricane warning - on Wednesday, February 2, as the powerful cyclone bore down on its coast. Authorities said at least 12 people have been injured so far - 10 from carbon monoxide poisoning, one from electrocution, and one from falling down a roof.

The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System - a joint disaster information network of the United Nations and the European Commission - classified Tropical Cyclone Batsirai under Category 4, with wind speeds reaching up to 231 kilometres per hour before it slammed into Mauritius on Wednesday.

The cyclone reportedly knocked out electricity to some 7,500 homes, while phone lines were also disrupted.

Weather agency Meteo-France said Batsirai is expected to approach Madagascar on the weekend while potentially maintaining its intensity.

Batsirai hit Mauritius as other nations in the Indian Ocean are still reeling from Tropical Storm Ana, which left at least 86 people dead after ravaging Mozambique, Malawi, and Madagascar last week.