In the Arabian Sea, the India Meteorological Department monitored an area of disturbed weather in early May for possible development.

The storm began to weaken as it continued inland over the Indus River Valley on May 21 before dissipating the next day.

Some areas were cut off from the surrounding region after strong winds, estimated to have been between 120 and 150 km/h (75 and 93 mph) downed power lines.

[2] Upon striking Pakistan, officials feared the worst, with memories of the deadly 1998 Gujarat cyclone fresh in their minds.

Reports released hours after the storm moved inland stated that at least 700 people were feared to be dead and at least 3,500 were thought to be missing.

High winds downed power lines throughout the region, severing communication with many affected cities.

It surpassed the record set just a year earlier by Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ARB 02 which attained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph 3-minute sustained) and a minimum pressure of 958 mbar (hPa; 28.29 inHg).

Additionally, the JTWC estimated that another storm, Cyclone Phet in 2010, attained higher sustained winds than ARB 01 in 1999; however, the IMD does not support this as it is based on one minute mean.