1960 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
---|---|
Seasonal boundaries | |
First system formed | May 10, 1960 |
Last system dissipated | December 3, 1960 |
Strongest storm | |
Name | Ten |
• Maximum winds | 150 km/h (90 mph) (3-minute sustained) |
• Lowest pressure | 967 hPa (mbar) |
Seasonal statistics | |
Depressions | 15 |
Deep depressions | 8 |
Cyclonic storms | 5 |
Very severe cyclonic storms | 2 |
Total fatalities | 20,341 total |
Total damage | At least $9.24 million (1960 USD) |
Related articles | |
The 1960 North Indian Ocean cyclone season featured two deadly tropical cyclones that collectively killed approximately 20,000 people collectively in East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). The Indian subcontinent divides the North Indian Ocean into two areas: the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. On average, five storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with dual peaks in activity during May and November.[1] Cyclones that occurred between 45°E and 100°E were included in seasonal records by the IMD.[2]
Fifteen depressions developed during the 1960 season, with five becoming cyclonic storms. The majority of the activity took place in the Bay of Bengal, where eleven systems formed; however, the season's first storm formed over the Arabian Sea on May 10. The storm produced hurricane-force winds and attained a barometric air pressure of 974 mbar (hPa; 28.76 inHg). The deadliest and most intense cyclone of the season was Severe Cyclonic Storm Ten, which killed 14,174 in East Pakistan in early November. With peak winds estimated at 150 km/h (95 mph) and a pressure of 966.7 mbar (hPa; 28.55 inHg), it struck just three weeks after the previous system devastated the same area. The storm produced a 6.1 m (20 ft) storm tide that swept 16 km (10 mi) inland, submerging several small islands. The two storms left a combined 200,000–300,000 people homeless. These systems marked the start of an unusually active period of cyclones impacting East Pakistan, culminating ten years later with the 1970 Bhola cyclone, which killed between 300,000 and 500,000 people.[3] During the 1960 season, several depressions impacted India with heavy rainfall. Collectively, these systems killed 167 people.
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