On May 19, the cyclone made landfall along northwestern Myanmar near Sittwe, with maximum sustained winds estimated at 165 km/h (105 mph) by the India Meteorological Department.

Although damage was heaviest in Myanmar, the cyclone's effects also spread into neighboring Bangladesh, where strong winds knocked over trees and capsized two ships.

Late on May 14, an area of convection, or thunderstorms, developed in the central Bay of Bengal about 880 kilometres (550 miles) south-southeast of Kolkata, India,[1] associated with the monsoon trough.

With weak steering currents, the storm meandered over the central Bay of Bengal, executing a small cyclonic loop over 30 hours.

[3] The JTWC upgraded the cyclone to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane at 00:00 UTC on May 19, estimating peak 1 minute sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph).

[3] About an hour later, the cyclone made landfall at peak intensity with an estimated pressure of 952 mbar (28.1 inHg) in northwestern Myanmar near Sittwe, near the country's border with Bangladesh.

[6] While stalling in the Bay of Bengal, the cyclone's outskirts dropped light to moderate rainfall along the eastern coast of India.

[3] Upon making landfall, the cyclone's effects spread into southeastern Bangladesh, where heavy rainfall and high winds forced about 50,000 people to evacuate to shelters.

[7] The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission estimated that up to 500 mm (20 in) of precipitation fell along the Bay of Bengal coast in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

[9] A high storm surge and coastal flooding inundated four towns in Rakhine State, causing damage to water systems.

[10][13] The request included $220,000 (USD) worth of rice, tarpaulin sheets for temporary shelter, medicine, and clothing,[10] to assist 14,000 people.

[16] The Red Cross operation responding to the cyclone ended in December 2004, which marked the first time the agency had a major response to a disaster.

It worked in conjunction with the World Food Programme, Bridge Asia Japan, and the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, utilizing some private donations.

[13] Myanmar's National Disaster Relief Committee distributed 500 tons of concrete and 50,000 roofing sheets to help rebuild homes.

[16] Myanmar's then-Prime Minister Khin Nyunt surveyed the damaged areas and held a ceremony on June 7 in Sittwe, where domestic donations were transferred to the government in "the spirit of national consolidation".

The group donated about $267,000 (USD), although due to their minority status in the country, the aid did not help other Rohingyas in the state, who also did not receive assistance from the government.