Cyclone Roanu
| Cyclonic storm (IMD scale) | |
|---|---|
| Tropical storm (Saffir–Simpson scale) | |
Cyclone Roanu approaching Bangladesh on 21 May
|
|
| Formed | 17 May 2016 |
| Dissipated | 23 May 2016 |
| (Remnant low after 22 May) | |
| Highest winds |
3-minute sustained: 85 km/h (50 mph) 1-minute sustained: 100 km/h (65 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 983 hPa (mbar); 29.03 inHg |
| Fatalities | 227 total |
| Damage | $1.7 billion (2016 USD) |
| Areas affected | Sri Lanka, East coast of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar |
| Part of the 2016 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Cyclonic Storm Roanu was a relatively weak tropical cyclone that caused severe flooding in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh during May 2016. It is the first tropical cyclone of the annual cyclone season. Roanu originated from a low pressure area that formed south of Sri Lanka, which gradually drifted north and intensified into a cyclonic storm on 19 May. However, wind shear and land interaction caused it to weaken slightly, before reintensifying as it accelerated towards the coast of Bangladesh.
The storm was responsible for 201 deaths in Sri Lanka and another 26 deaths in Bangladesh. Damage throughout Sri Lanka reached 250–280 billion rupees (US$1.7–2 billion). Roanu also brought torrential rainfall to the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha as it drifted in a generally northeastward direction, close to the coast.
Under the influence of a trough, a low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal on 14 May. It slowly consolidated as it paralleled the east coast of Sri Lanka, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to classify it as a depression on 17 May. Late the same day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a tropical cyclone formation alert (TCFA), soon after which the JTWC upgraded the system to a tropical storm. Simultaneously, the IMD upgraded the storm to a Deep Depression, prompting the issuance of cyclone warnings for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. On 19 May, the IMD reported that the storm had reached cyclonic storm intensity, and assigned it the name Roanu.
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