 Cyclone Luban at peak intensity on October 10 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 6, 2018 |
| Dissipated | October 15, 2018 |
| Very severe cyclonic storm | |
| 3-minute sustained (IMD) | |
| Highest winds | 140 km/h (85 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 978 hPa (mbar); 28.88 inHg |
| Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 155 km/h (100 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 959 hPa (mbar); 28.32 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 14 total |
| Damage | $1 billion (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Oman, Somalia, Yemen |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Luban was the third tropical cyclone to affect the Arabian Peninsula during the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, after cyclones Sagar and Mekunu in May. Luban developed on October 6 in the central Arabian Sea, and for much of its duration, maintained a general west-northwestward trajectory. On October 10, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded Luban to a very severe cyclonic storm – equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane – and estimated maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph). The storm made landfall on October 14 in eastern Yemen, as a cyclonic storm. The storm quickly weakened over the dry, mountainous terrain of the Arabian Peninsula, before dissipating on October 15.
Upon moving ashore, Cyclone Luban produced flooding rains in Somalia, Oman, and Yemen. The cyclone killed 14 people in Yemen, when heavy rainfall cut off villages and damaged roads. Damage in the country was estimated at US$1 billion.[nb 1] In Oman, desert rainfall caused a small locust outbreak. Luban coexisted with Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli in the Bay of Bengal, marking the first time since 1971 that two storms of such intensity were active at the same time in the North Indian Ocean.
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