Cyclone Hibaru

Cyclone Hibaru was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean. It struck peak winds of up to 190 MPH, and reached a pressure of 875 mbar. It affected most of Somalia, and made landfall there as a Category 5 cyclone. Hibaru was also known as "The Christmas Cyclone", as it made landfall on December 23, 2018.

Meteorological History

On December 18, the IMD began tracking an area of low pressure south of India that had potential of becoming a major cyclone. On December 19, it became a cyclonic storm, and they named it ''Hibaru. ''The system began to rapidly strengthen, and by December 20, the system had reached 120 MPH winds. On December 21, another rapid strengthening process began, and late that night, it reached 155 MPH winds. Wind shear began to break down, and Hibaru began to travel northward towards the Seychelles. It made landfall in the Seychelles with winds of up 160 MPH, causing major flooding and decimation. The system did not weaken, and continued a northward track. It began another rapid intensification stage late on December 21, reaching it's peak intensity of 190 MPH. As it neared Somalia, it began to weaken and pressure began to rise. The storm also enlarged. By the time it was near Somalia, it had weakened to 165 MPH cyclone. An eyeball replacement cycle occurred hours before landfall on December 23. Later that night, Hibaru made landfall near Mogadishu, Somalia, with winds of up to 160 MPH. The storm moved inland, causing mass destruction and record rainfall in Somalia. It re-entered into the Gulf of Aden as a extratropical cyclone, before affecting Yemen slightly. It began to accelerate northward, still hanging on as an extratropical cyclone on December 25, and becoming a remnant low over Iran, and dissipating on December 27.

Impact

Aftermath

On December 28, loads of aid workers rushed to Somalia. Charities like the Help our Friends Fund helped raise billions of dollars for the people in Somalia. The North Koreans and South Koreans agreed to create a joint fund for the victims. President Donald Trump met with the Somalian president and offered help in the recovery effort.