 Sagar at peak intensity in the western Gulf of Aden on May 18 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 16, 2018 |
| Dissipated | May 20, 2018 |
| Cyclonic storm | |
| 3-minute sustained (IMD) | |
| Highest winds | 85 km/h (50 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 994 hPa (mbar); 29.35 inHg |
| Category 1-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 120 km/h (75 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 974 hPa (mbar); 28.76 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 79 total |
| Damage | $30 million (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Yemen, Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclonic Storm Sagar[a] (/ˈsɑː.ɡɑːr/) was the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in Somalia and Somaliland in recorded history until Gati in 2020, and the first named cyclone of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Forming on May 16 east of the Guardafui Channel, Sagar intensified into a cyclonic storm on the next day, as it gradually organized. The storm turned to the west-southwest and traversed the entirety of the Gulf of Aden, making landfall over Somaliland on May 19, farther west than any other storm on record in the North Indian Ocean. Sagar weakened into a remnant low on May 20.
The storm first affected Yemen, brushing the coast with heavy rainfall and gusty winds. One person was killed when her house caught fire. In Somalia, Sagar dropped a years' worth of rainfall, or around 200 mm (7.9 in). The rains caused deadly flash flooding that washed away bridges, homes, and thousands of farm animals. Sagar killed 53 people throughout the region – 3 in Puntland in Somalia and 50 in Somaliland. In neighboring Djibouti, heavy rainfall killed two people and damaged 1,800 houses, forcing 3,000 people to leave their houses. Damage in the country reached US$30 million. Sagar's rainfall extended into eastern Ethiopia, damaging schools and houses, and causing a landslide that killed 23 people.
- ^ Dahir, Abdi Latif (May 22, 2018). "Somalia's "strongest cyclone on record" has left dozens dead and thousands displaced". Quartz. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
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