The 1968 Burma cyclone was regarded as the worst to strike the country during the 20th century before it was surpassed by another unnamed cyclone in 2004 and further, Cyclone Nargis in 2008, respectively. The first tropical cyclone of the 1968 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it started as a depression on May 7 on the northern Andaman Sea. With low wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures, the storm intensified in the waters near Burma before heading northwestwards. It then started to rapidly intensify, with an eye becoming apparent on satellite imagery on May 9. Also that day, it reached its peak intensity, with 3-minute maximum sustained winds of 220 km/h (140 mph) by the Indian Meteorological Department, which is equivalent to a super cyclonic storm; however, the agency treated the system as a severe cyclonic storm. Little to no changes happened on the cyclone as it turned northeastwards, making landfall near Akyab (now Sittwe) between 18:00 and 21:00 UTC on that day. Land interaction rapidly weakened the storm, dissipating on May 10 as an area of low-pressure in south Chin State.
The predecessor to the cyclone caused light to moderate downpour to the Andaman Islands; however, no deaths were reported. Winds reported from the cyclone inland Burma reached an estimate of 60–100 mph, altogether with heavy rainfall and large storm surges. The former flooded the crops, submerging them in floodwaters in the process while the latter washed out villages near the path of the storm. Schools and hospitals throughout Akyab were destroyed by high winds and large waves, while the port suffered major damages. The town was almost destroyed due to the storm. In addition, some ships in the said harbor, including the Greek freighter Geros Michalos were reportedly sunk in the Bay of Bengal. Houses were destroyed during the storm and many livestock died, mainly due to drowning. The death toll from the cyclone was finalized in May 1968 at 1,037 individuals, while 2,000 more were reportedly missing. The property damages were estimated at Ks.15 million ($3.248 million USD).
After the cyclone, the Government of Burma started to release aid to the victims, altogether with food supplies and cotton blankets. The Red Cross Society of the country donated cases of medicines to the country, while the United States Government released over 25,000 blankets to be transferred to the area. In addition, many countries and organizations including the UNICEF contributed over $121,291 (1968 USD) to Myanmar, following the disaster.
Meteorological history
On May 5, a weak cyclonic circulation, which likely emerged from the Andaman Sea started to move westwards across the southern portion of Burma. The convection of thunderstorms started to consolidate at that time, as pressure countings along the southern coasts of Arakan and Tenasserim regions started to fall, all in the country. In addition, on that day, a trough of low pressure formed along the circulation in the northern Andaman Sea, which would later spawn a well-marked disturbance, early the next day. At 18:00 UTC that day, the disturbance intensified to a depression and further to a deep depression on the next day as it located in a favorable environment for intensification, as evidenced by the rapid strengthening state of the system. The IMD upgraded the system to a cyclonic storm at 18:00 UTC that day before further intensifying to a severe cyclonic storm on the next day as it moved northwestwards. The storm had an eye feature and a well-defined central dense overcast as being evidenced by satellite imagery. The cyclone then started to move west-northwestwards before turning north as the motion of the system slowed down. On May 9, a ESSA-6 satellite image of the cyclone showed that the system became more compact in size, and its eye became more apparent. Shortly after, the IMD assessed the system to be at a peak intensity of 220 km/h (140 mph) in 3-minute means, well equivalent to a super cyclonic storm on the intensity scale by the agency; however, it was treated as a severe cyclonic storm in the department's record and report on the storm. Using the Davidon–Fletcher–Powell formula on the minimum barometric pressure on the system, it was analyzed to be at , the lowest recorded in association with the system. Little no changes happened in the intensity of the system as it started to recurve northeastwards, approaching western Burma. Between 21:00 and 00:00 UTC on that day and the following, the cyclone crossed the northern coast of Arakan near Akyab, with the latter suffering a direct hit from the storm. Interaction with the landmass of the country rapidly weakened the storm, becoming a well-marked area of low pressure on May 10 on southern Chin State.