Pre-1975 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons

• 1582 - A tropical cyclone impacted the Sundarbans and West Bengal.
• 1584 - A tropical cyclone impacted Bangladesh with hurricane-force winds and killed over 2,00,000 people.
• 1688 - A tropical cyclone impacted the Sundarbans and West Bengal.
• 1699 - A tropical cyclone impacted Kolkata and killed 60,000 people.
• November 13 - 14, 1721 - A tropical cyclone impacted Madras.
• October 7 - 12, 1737 - A tropical cyclone impacted the Sundarbans and West Bengal and killed 300 000 people.[1]

• December 1789 - A tropical cyclone impacted Coringa, India and killed 20,000.

• 1807 - A tropical cyclone impacted West Bengal and killed 90,000 people.
• 1831 - An intense tropical cyclone impacted Odisha.[2]
• 1833 - A tropical cyclone impacted West Bengal and killed around 50 000 people,[3]
• November 25, 1839 - A tropical cyclone impacted Andrah Pradesh and killed around 300 000 people.
• 1847 - A tropical cyclone impacted Bengal where it caused 75,000 deaths and 6000 cattle.[4]

The 1864 Calcutta Cyclone

On October 5, a powerful cyclone hit near Calcutta, India, killing around 300,100 people.[5] The anemometer in the city was blown away during the cyclone. Over 100 brick homes and tens of thousands of tiled and straw huts were leveled. Most ships in the harbor (172 out of 195) were either damaged or destroyed.[6] The cyclone of 1864 destroyed the ports at Khejuri and Hijli.[7]

The anemometer in the city was blown away during the cyclone. A lack of storm surge minimized the overall damage from this system.[6]

This severe cyclone killed 80,000 people and caused significant damage.[4]

On October 31, a cyclone hit the Meghna River Delta area of India. The storm surge killed 100,000, and the disease after the storm killed another 100,000.

A cyclone had formed near the Laccadive Islands on May 24, 555 kilometres (345 mi) west of southern India. The SS Mergui encountered the cyclone off the Horn of Africa, 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Socotra on June 1 and reported it stronger than the tropical cyclone which struck Calcutta in 1864. Just before midnight on the night of June 1, the Diomed reported winds of hurricane force and a pressure of 984 millibars (29.1 inHg). The ship Peshawar reported a westerly hurricane at the east end of the Gulf of Aden towards midnight on the night of June 2. At noon on June 3, the Tantallon reported a pressure of 943 millibars (27.8 inHg) near 12.5N 45.5E. On June 3, the German corvette Augusta, the French dispatch boat Renard, and the British ship SS Speke Hall were lost in the storm in the Gulf of Aden. The system continued westward and shrank in scale as it moved into the entrance of the Red Sea, crossing the coast of Djibouti.[8]

An intense cyclone struck Odisha.[2] it killed one person.

This system formed off the west coast of India during the first week of June and moved northwest towards the Arabian peninsula. Approaching the Gulf of Oman, strong winds and heavy rains affected Sur during the afternoon on June 4. Rain spread west that evening towards Muscat, where winds increased to hurricane-force from the north-northeast early on June 5. The eye of the storm made landfall at Sohar at dusk on June 5, eventually dissipating well inland. Heavy rains fell at the hospital in Muscat, where 11.24 inches (285 mm) were recorded. This led to flooding which took several hundred lives. Several thousand date trees were uprooted by the storm's winds and carried away by its floods. Several homes were leveled in Muscat and Mutrah. Fifty perished from downing near the coast or being buried by debris. Overall, 727 people lost their lives.[8]

• May 19 - 27, 1891 - A shallow depression developed over the Bay of Bengal to the northeast of Sri Lanka. Over the next few days, the system moved northwards and brought the south-west monsoon over Burma and the Bay of Bengal, before it dissipated off the coast of Ganjam during May 27.[9]
• July 24 - 30, 1891 - During July 24, a moderate cyclonic storm formed over the Bay of Bengal, near the mouth of the Hooghly River. Over the next few days, the system moved north-westwards

An intense cyclone struck Odisha.[2]

In 1895, a cyclonic storm hit the Makran coast in Balochistan province in modern-day Pakistan.[10]

In May 1902, a cyclonic storm struck the coast in the vicinity of Karachi.[10]

In June 1907, a tropical storm struck the coast near Karachi.[11]

On October 16, a cyclone hit near the India/Bangladesh border, resulting in around 40,000 fatalities. A wind gust of 225 km/h (140 mph) was recorded.

On 27 July 1944, a cyclone left some 20,000 people homeless in Karachi.[12]

This significant storm killed 750 people and led to a loss of 30,000 cattle.[4]

In 1948, a tropical storm made landfall along the Makran coast in Balochistan province in Pakistan.[10][13]

• April 8 - 13, 1950 - A Deep Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• May 23 - 30, 1950 - A Deep Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• June 8 - 12, 1950 - A Cyclonic Storm existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• June 23 - 28, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• July 10 - 12, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• July 11 - 15, 1950 - A Depression existed over land.[14]
• July 25 - 30, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• August 3 - 7, 1950 - A Depression existed over land.[14]
• August 9 - 15, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• September 1 - 5, 1950 - A Depression existed over land.[14]
• September 9 - 11, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• September 12 - 19, 1950 - A Cyclonic Storm existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• September 22 - 24, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• October 17 - 22, 1950 - A Depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• November 16 - 20, 1950 - A Cyclonic Storm existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]
• December 2 - 6, 1950 - A Cyclonic Storm existed over the Bay of Bengal.[14]

• April 15 - 24, 1951 - A cyclonic storm existed over the Arabian Sea.[15]
• June 4 - 7, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• June 11 - 13, 1951 - A depression existed over the Arabian Sea.[15]
• June 26 - July 7, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• July 19 - 22, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• July 24 - 29, 1951 - A cyclonic storm existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• July 30 - August 1, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• August 4 - 5, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• August 16 - 19, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• August 30 - September 1, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• September 9 - 13, 1951 - A depression existed over Land.[15]
• October 9 - 11, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• November 12 - 19, 1951 - A severe cyclonic storm existed over the Arabian Sea.[15]
• November 23 - 26, 1951 - A depression existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]
• December 5 - 14, 1951 - A severe cyclonic storm existed over the Bay of Bengal.[15]

• Typhoon Vae crossed over into the Indian Ocean in 1952.

This cyclone brought torrential rainfall to Midnapore district in West Bengal. About 20,000 people were left homeless, while another 20,000 people were left stranded near the Assam border after the Haora River topped its banks. There was an estimated 480 fatalities, most caused by landslides.[16]

A cyclone developed over the Arabian Sea near the Gulf of Oman on December 27. Moving westward, the storm lashed Bahrain with winds of 110 mph (180 km/h). An offshore oil rig collapsed, killing 20 Royal Dutch Shell employees.[16]

• February 1959 - A tropical cyclone impacted Bahrain and caused 500 deaths.[16]

This system first became a low-pressure area near the Laccadive Islands on May 19, tracking northwest towards the Arabian peninsula. The system made landfall at Raysut on May 24. At Salalah, skies clouded over on May 23 as the pressure fell significantly. Winds turned northerly before midnight that night. At 1 a.m. on May 24 the peak of the storm's winds arrived. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at 70 knots (130 km/h) and the pressure at Salalaha fell to 968 millibars (28.6 inHg). Many vessels offshore, including two large passenger ships, went to pieces. Five buildings collapsed and several roofs were blown away by the cyclone. Salalah recorded 82 millimetres (3.2 in) of rain at their airport. A total of 141 lives from the ship Samha were taken during this tempest.[8]

Track map of all storms during the 1960 season

Fifteen depressions developed during the course of the 1960 season, with five becoming cyclonic storms. The majority of activity took place in the Bay of Bengal, with eleven cyclones forming there. The season's first storm formed over the Arabian Sea on May 10. Though it remained over water for its entire existence, several vessels encountered the storm and reported hurricane-force winds as well as a pressure of 974 mbar (hPa; 28.77 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. Attaining peak winds estimated at 150 km/h (90 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. Producing a 6.1 m (20 ft) storm tide that swept 16 km (10 mi) inland, several coastal islands were completely submerged. An estimated 200,000–300,000 were left homeless in the wake of the two storms. These systems marked the start of an unusually active period of cyclones impacting East Pakistan, culminating ten years later with the 1970 Bhola cyclone that killed 300,000–500,000 people. During the course of the season, several depressions impacted India, each producing heavy rain. Collectively, these systems killed 125 people.

Track map of all storms during the 1963 season

May Salalah cyclone

On May 19, a tropical disturbance formed over the Laccadive Islands, before tracking northwest towards the Arabian peninsula. The system achieved cyclone intensity on May 22. A United States Weather Bureau research flight flew into the 12 nautical miles (22 km)-wide eye of the hurricane-strength system, and found a central pressure of 947 millibars (28.0 inHg). A ship 111 kilometres (69 mi) west of the system reported winds of 68 knots (126 km/h). At Salalah, a strong northerly wind set in during the morning of May 25. Later in the day, winds increased to gale force and a sandstorm reduced visibility to 400 metres (1,300 ft). Later in the day of May 26 winds again increased to gale force and another sandstorm reduced visibility to 500 metres (1,600 ft). As winds increased to 60 knots (110 km/h) the sandstorm became more severe, with visibility restricted to 50 metres (160 ft). Late on the night of the 26th, winds shifted to northeast and heavy rains fell across the region through the morning hours. Skies remained cloudy with periods of rain into May 28. A total of 230 millimetres (9.1 in) was recorded at Salalah.[8]

May East Pakistan II cyclone

On May 28, a cyclone hit present-day Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan province), causing 22,000 fatalities due to storm surge and flooding.[17]

It made landfall in Tharparkar and Hyderabad district in Sindh province in Pakistan on 12 June.[10][18] However it caused a great loss of life and property in the province.[10] It killed 450 people and left some 400,000 people homeless.[12]

This deadly tropical cyclone's picture was taken by the TIROS X weather satellite over the Bay of Bengal on December 14, 1965

Two cyclones that hit on May 11 and June 1 killed a total of 47,000 people.

A cyclone hit East Pakistan on December 15, causing about 10,000 casualties.[19]

This ESSA 3 satellite image was taken on November 3, 1966 at 0819 UTC of a tropical cyclone striking Madras, India

A cyclone struck Madras, India on November 3, killing over 50 people and leaving 800,000 people homeless.[20]

On October 12, an intense cyclone struck the state of Odisha and left complete devastation along its path.

On May 10, a cyclone struck Myanmar (then known as Burma), killing 1,037 people and leaving 297,768 people homeless.[21]

Storms in May and November struck Andhra Pradesh, killing 858 people.[22]

Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times.[23] Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. This cyclone was the sixth cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, and also the season's strongest, reaching a strength equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

The cyclone formed over the central Bay of Bengal on November 8 and travelled north, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on November 12, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan that night. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected Thana, Tazumuddin, over 45% of the population of 167,000 was killed by the storm.

The Pakistani government was severely criticized for its handling of the relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and in the international media. The opposition Awami League gained a landslide victory in the province, and continuing unrest between East Pakistan and the central government triggered the Bangladesh Liberation War, which concluded with the creation of the country of Bangladesh.

Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Duration	October 27 – October 31
Peak intensity	120 km/h (75 mph) (1-min)

A tropical cyclone moved through the Arabian Sea near the end of October.

Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Duration	October 27 – October 31
Peak intensity	185 km/h (115 mph) (1-min)

On October 27 a tropical depression formed in the Bay of Bengal. It tracked northward, steadily strengthening until reaching a peak of 115 mph winds. The cyclone struck Cuttack, a city in Odisha, India, on October 29, and dissipated 2 days later. The storm surge and flooding from the system caused 10,800 fatalities.[24]

Photograph of the Earth from Apollo 17 on December 7. The 1972 Tamil Nadu cyclone can be seen in the top right portion of the planet.

This system killed 80 people and 150 cattle.[4] The cyclone is visible on The Blue Marble photo taken by Apollo 17.

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	May 27 – May 29
Peak intensity	65 km/h (40 mph) (1-min)

This system formed in the Arabian Sea on May 27 and struck the Arabian peninsula on May 28, becoming the tenth system to affect the region since 1891.[25]

Tropical storm (SSHWS)
Duration	December 5 – December 9
Peak intensity	110 km/h (70 mph) (1-min)

This system formed as a tropical depression in the southern Bay on December 5, strengthening into a tropical storm as it turned north-northwest on December 5, then to hurricane strength on December 6. The cyclone recurved, striking Indian near Calcutta on December 9, though its main impacts were across Bangladesh.[26]