1964 Rameswaram cyclone

1964 Rameswaram cyclone
Satellite image of the cyclone on December 21
Meteorological history
FormedDecember 18, 1964
DissipatedDecember 26, 1964
Super cyclonic storm
3-minute sustained (IMD)
Highest winds240 km/h (150 mph)
Lowest pressure≤970 hPa (mbar); ≤28.64 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities≤1,800
Damage$150 million (1964 USD)
Areas affectedCeylon, India

Part of the 1964 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

The 1964 Rameswaram cyclone (also known as the Dhanushkodi cyclone) was regarded as one of the most powerful storms to ever strike India on record.[1] The system was first identified as an area of low pressure over the Andaman Sea on December 15. Following interaction with a tropical wave, it began to develop and became a depression by December 18. Increasingly rapid intensification ensued over the following days with the cyclone attaining hurricane-force winds around 5°N the next day. Early on December 23, the storm struck Ceylon near Trincomalee with winds estimated at 240 km/h (150 mph), ranking it as a modern-day super cyclonic storm. Weakening somewhat, the storm soon struck Tamil Nadu. Rapid weakening followed once the cyclone was onshore and it degenerated into a depression on December 24 as it emerged over the Arabian Sea. The system later dissipated on December 26 over open water.

  1. ^ A. D. Rao; S. K. Dube; P. Chittibabu (1994). "Finite Difference Techniques Applied to the Simulation of Surges and Currents Around Sri Lanka and Southern Indian Peninsula". International Journal of Computational Fluid Dynamics. 3 (1): 71–77. Bibcode:1994IJCFD...3...71R. doi:10.1080/10618569408904500.