Back १९७० भोला चक्रवात ANP إعصار بولا 1970 Arabic Ciclón Bhola AST Bhola siklonu Azerbaijani ১৯৭০ ভোলা ঘূর্ণিঝড় Bengali/Bangla Cicló Bhola de 1970 Catalan Cyklón Bhola Czech Zyklon in Ostpakistan 1970 German Κυκλώνας Μπόλα Greek Ciclón Bhola Spanish
 The ITOS 1 weather satellite image of the cyclone making landfall in East Pakistan on 12 November | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 8 November 1970 |
| Dissipated | 13 November 1970 |
| Extremely severe cyclonic storm | |
| 3-minute sustained (IMD) | |
| Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 960 hPa (mbar); 28.35 inHg |
| Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 240 km/h (150 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 300,000–500,000 (Deadliest tropical cyclone on record) |
| Damage | $86.4 million (1970 USD) |
| Areas affected | East Pakistan and India |
Part of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
The 1970 Bhola cyclone (also known as the Great Cyclone of 1970[1]) was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on 12 November 1970.[2] It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded and one of the world's deadliest humanitarian disasters. At least 300,000 people died in the storm,[3] possibly as many as 500,000,[4][5][6] primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta.[7] Bhola was the sixth and strongest cyclonic storm of the 1970 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.[8]
The cyclone formed over the central Bay of Bengal on 8 November and traveled northward, intensifying as it did so. It reached its peak with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) on 10 November, and made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan on the following afternoon. The storm surge devastated many of the offshore islands, wiping out villages and destroying crops throughout the region. In the most severely affected upazila Tazumuddin, over 45% of the population of 167,000 were killed by the storm.
The Pakistani government, led by junta leader General Yahya Khan, was criticized for its delayed handling of relief operations following the storm, both by local political leaders in East Pakistan and by the international media. The poor and discriminating response from the West Pakistan government led to the increasingly widespread disillusionment from the East Pakistani people, allowing the opposition Awami League to gain a landslide victory in the province during the election that took place a month later as well as the Bangladesh Liberation War 7 months later.
- ^ Longshore, David (2007). Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones (2 ed.). Facts On File Inc. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-8160-6295-9.
- ^ "World's deadliest tropical cyclone was 50 years ago". public.wmo.int. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "World: Highest Mortality, Tropical Cyclone". World Meteorological Organization's World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive. Arizona State University. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "The 16 deadliest storms of the last century". Business Insider India. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ Francis, Julian (9 November 2019). "Remembering the great Bhola cyclone". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ Ghosh, Manash. Bangladesh War: Report from Ground Zero. ISBN 978-93-91125-37-0.
- ^ Ouderm, Paula (6 December 2007). "NOAA Researcher's Warning Helps Save Lives in Bangladesh". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
- ^ "Cyclone". en.banglapedia.org. Banglapedia. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.