The 1979 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was part of the annual cycle of
tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern
Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the
Bay of Bengal to the east of the
Indian subcontinent and the
Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official
Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the
India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the
Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) releases unofficial advisories. An average of five tropical cyclones form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November.[1] Cyclones occurring between the meridians
45°E and
100°E are included in the season by the IMD.[2]
The system formed on 6 May close to the coast of Sri Lanka. It moved towards northwest in its existence after making a small loop. On 13 May, the cyclone made landfall near
Ongole in
Andhra Pradesh and dissipated rapidly by the same day. The storm killed 700 people and 300,000 cattle over there.[3]Nellore reported gust winds up to 155 kmph. In Peddaganjam and Kovuur, storm surges were up to 12 ft. which led to
coastal flooding in those areas. Together 40 lakh people were affected by the storm and nearly 7 lakh houses were damaged.