Cyclone Fani

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani (/ˈfɒniː/ Foni) was the strongest pre-monsoon tropical cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal since 1991. The second named storm and the first severe cyclonic storm of the 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Fani originated from a tropical depression that formed west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean on 26 April. Vertical wind shear initially hindered the storm's development, but conditions became more favorable for Fani on 30 April. Fani rapidly intensified as a result, peaking at an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm with winds of 215 km/h (130 mph). The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) assessed its peak as a Category 5-equivalent intensity with winds of 280 km/h (175 mph), making it the strongest north Indian Ocean tropical cyclone on record in terms of 1-minute sustained winds. Fani weakened slightly before making landfall in Odisha a few days later. Its convective structure rapidly degraded thereafter, degenerating into a remnant low on 4 May, and dissipating on the next day.

Prior to Fani's landfall, authorities in India and Bangladesh moved at least a million people each from areas within Fani's projected path onto higher ground and into cyclone shelters, which is thought to have reduced the death toll. Fani killed at least 81 people in eastern India and Bangladesh and caused about US$8.1 billion worth of damage in both India and Bangladesh, mostly in Odisha, in India.