Tropical Cyclone Titli Brings Wind and Rain to India

Tropical Cyclone Titli brought wind and rain to India on Wednesday night when it made landfall.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Cyclone Titli was located at latitude 19.1°N and longitude 84.4°E which put it about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Brahmapur, India.  Titli was moving toward the west-northwest at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 955 mb.

Tropical Cyclone Titli intensified rapidly on Wednesday prior to making landfall on the coast of India near Brahmapur.  An eye developed at the center of circulation and a ring of strong thunderstorms formed around the eye.  The strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Winds to hurricane/typhoon force extended out about 50 miles (80 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Titli.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 170 miles (275 km) from the center of circulation.

The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Tropical Cyclone Titli was 17.8.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 16.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Index (HWISI) was 34.1.  Tropical Cyclone Titli was capable of causing regional serious damage.

Tropical Cyclone Titli will move around the western end of an upper level ridge over the Bay of Bengal.  The ridge will steer Titli toward the north during the next 24 hours and then the tropical cyclone will move toward the northeast in a day or so.  On its anticipated track Tropical   Cyclone Titli will move slowly northward in Orissa state in India on Friday.  Titli will cause wind damage and it will drop locally heavy rain over Orissa.  The heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations.  Tropical Cyclone Titli will spin down slowly as it moves north over Orissa.