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The Indian "Super Cyclone" developed in the Bay of Bengal
in October 1999 and became the strongest and deadliest cyclone
in the region since the Bangladesh cyclone of April 1991. Some
of the details of the cyclone and its effects are summarised below.
There is a split season for cyclone development in the Bay of
Bengal which corresponds with the onset and retreat of the Indian
monsoon. Hence, most cyclones are experienced in the months April
to June and September to November.
Here is the life cycle of the cyclone:
24 October: An area of disturbed weather formed in the
Gulf of Thailand.
25 October: This disturbance moved northwestwards across
the Malay peninsula into the Andaman Sea.
26 October: A tropical storm formed (winds greater than
39 m.p.h.) as the cyclone continued to move into the Bay of Bengal.
27 October: The cyclone gained hurricane/typhoon strength
(winds of 74 m.p.h.) and continued to move northwestwards towards
India.
29 October: Sustained winds peaked at an estimated 160
m.p.h. as the cyclone made landfall over the Indian state of Orissa.
30 October: The cyclone started to weaken, but slowed and
began to drift south back out to sea.
1 November: The cyclone weakened to a depression as it
continued its drift southwards just off the coast.
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The observed track from 26 October to 1 November |
The North Indian Ocean is the only area of the world where tropical
cyclones are not given names. However, the Joint Typhoon Warning
Center in Hawaii gives identifiers to all tropical cyclones and
this one was designated as "05B".
As of 10 November 1999 the death toll was estimated at 7,500*,
but expected to rise to near 10,000. Over ten million were affected
by the cyclone of which at least a million have been made homeless.
* source: ReliefWeb
The previous strongest cyclone in this region was in April 1991.
This cyclone struck Bangladesh with estimated winds of 160 m.p.h.
and a central pressure of 898 mb. Some 138,000 lives were lost
as a result of this cyclone.
The most devastating cyclone in this region hit Bangladesh in
1970 and claimed at least 300,000 lives.
The 1999 cyclone ranks as one of the strongest recorded in this
region, but as is often the case, it was the heavy rainfall, storm
surge and the associated flooding rather than the wind strength
which caused most of the devastation and deaths. Some unconfirmed
reports suggest a storm surge of up to 20 feet and inundation
up to nine miles in land occurred.
Over recent years several other cyclones have caused damage
and loss of life in India.
Just two weeks prior to this cyclone, another with winds of
near 135 m.p.h. struck a little further down the coast claiming
at least 70 lives and making over 40,000 homeless.
The Gujarat province was struck by a cyclone with winds of 115
m.p.h. in June 1998 and was struck again a little further up the
coast less than a year later in May 1999 with winds of 125 m.p.h.
This latter cyclone affected over 600,000 people and claimed around
400 lives.
A cyclone with winds of 135 m.p.h. struck the Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh in November 1996 claiming 2,000 lives.
In November 1989 Typhoon Gay (which formed and was named in
the Gulf of Thailand) crossed the Bay of Bengal and struck Andhra
Pradesh with winds of near 160 m.p.h.
This fact sheet was compiled with information obtained from the
Joint
Typhoon Warning Center, Hawaii.
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