1964 Rameswaram cyclone
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. 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.
| Super cyclonic storm (IMD scale) | |
|---|---|
| Category 5 tropical cyclone (SSHWS) | |
Satellite image of the cyclone on December 21 | |
| Formed | December 18, 1964 |
| Dissipated | December 26, 1964 |
| Highest winds | 3-minute sustained: 240 km/h (150 mph) 1-minute sustained: 260 km/h (160 mph) Gusts: 280 km/h (175 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | ≤ 970 hPa (mbar); 28.64 inHg |
| Fatalities | At least 1,800 total |
| Damage | $150 million (1964 USD) |
| Areas affected | Ceylon, India |
| Part of the 1964 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |