 Satellite image of the cyclone on December 21 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | December 18, 1964 |
| Dissipated | December 26, 1964 |
| Super cyclonic storm | |
| 3-minute sustained (IMD) | |
| Highest winds | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | ≤970 hPa (mbar); ≤28.64 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | ≤1,800 |
| Damage | $150 million (1964 USD) |
| Areas affected | Ceylon, 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.
- ^ 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.