 Cyclone Titli at peak intensity approaching Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on October 10 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | October 8, 2018 |
| Dissipated | October 12, 2018 |
| Very severe cyclonic storm | |
| 3-minute sustained (IMD) | |
| Highest winds | 150 km/h (90 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 972 hPa (mbar); 28.70 inHg |
| Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 195 km/h (120 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 944 hPa (mbar); 27.88 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 89 total |
| Damage | $920 million (2018 USD) |
| Areas affected | Northern Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bangladesh |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage to Eastern India in October 2018. Titli was the twelfth depression and fifth named storm to form in the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Titli originated from a low pressure area in the Andaman Sea on October 7. With warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, the low developed into a depression on October 8 in the central Bay of Bengal. It was tracked and followed by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which also issued warnings and notices for the public. Titli continued to intensify at it moved toward the southeast Indian coast, becoming a very severe cyclonic storm, equivalent to a minimal hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale. It attained the intensity at the same time Cyclone Luban in the Arabian Sea was at the same intensity, marking the first instance since 1977 of simultaneous storms. The IMD estimated peak winds of 150 km/h (95 mph), while the American-based Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimated peak winds of 195 km/h (120 mph). Late on October 10, Titli made landfall in Andhra Pradesh, and it quickly weakened over land as it turned to the northeast. It degenerated into a remnant low on October 12.
Ahead of the storm's landfall in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, about 300,000 people evacuated. Titli ultimately killed 89 people from its impacts, including 85 in India. The cyclone produced strong winds, with gusts to 126 km/h (78 mph), along with a storm surge that flooded coastal areas. The storm also dropped heavy rainfall as it moved through India. Mohana in Odisha recorded 460 mm (18 in) of rainfall over 48 hours. This caused floods and landslides, crop damage, fallen trees, and power outages that affected at least 400,000 people. Throughout India, Titli damaged 127,081 houses, forcing 63,562 people to stay in relief camps. Damage in the country was estimated at ₹6,673.1 crore (US$920 million). Four people died in Bangladesh due to landslides.