 When the system first formed, it benefited from warm water temperatures of 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F) and a favorable phase of the Madden – Julian oscillation. Moderate wind shear and continued interaction with the monsoon dislocated the bulk of the deepest convection to the western periphery. By 12: 00 UTC on October 25, the system organized enough for the JTWC to classify it as Tropical Cyclone 04A, and there were hints of an eye feature within the thunderstorms. By the time of classification, the storm was moving to the northeast, steered by the subtropical ridge to the south, although the motion slowed on October 26 due to competing influence of another subtropical ridge to the northwest. That day, the system strengthened quickly; the IMD upgraded the depression to a deep depression at 03: 00 UTC, to Cyclonic Storm Nilofar at 06: 00 UTC, and further to a severe cyclonic storm at 21: 00 UTC. At 00: 00 UTC on October 27, the JTWC upgraded Nilofar to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, based on the development of a 54 km (33 mi) eye. Throughout that day, the cyclone turned more to the northwest as a ridge built to the east, while the inner core of convection became more symmetrical and compact. Also by that time, tropical cyclone forecast models anticipated that Nilofar would eventually recurve to the northeast and make landfall in western India.
