This high strength hot rolled steel sheet has a composition that contains, in mass%, from 0.05% to 0.18% (inclusive) of C, 1.0% or less of Si, from 1.0% to 3.5% (inclusive) of Mn, 0.04% or less of P, 0.006% or less of S, 0.10% or less of Al, 0.008% or less of N, from 0.05% to 0.20% (inclusive) of Ti and more than 0.1% but 0.3% or less of V with the balance made up of Fe and unavoidable impurities. This high strength hot rolled steel sheet has a structure that contains a bainite phase as the main phase in an area ratio of more than 85%, while containing one or more phases selected from among a ferrite phase, a martensite phase and a residual austenite phase as the second phase in an area ratio of 0% or more but less than 15%. The average lath interval of the laths of the bainite phase is 400 nm or less, and the average length of long axes of the laths is 5.0 μm or less. This high strength hot rolled steel sheet has a tensile strength (TS) of 980 MPa or more.