Cyclones in West Bengal

Severe Cyclonic Storm Dana formed over the Bay of Bengal in late October 2024 and crossed the north Odisha coast between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra in the early hours of 25 October, with sustained winds of 110-120 km/h and gusts to 130 km/h. Mass evacuations along the Odisha coast ahead of landfall, plus a slow, five-hour landfall process, kept the death toll low relative to the storm's strength. Heavy rain also reached south Bengal.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Remal crossed the coast on the night of 26-27 May 2024 between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh, close to Mongla, with winds of about 110 km/h. In Bangladesh more than 70,000 houses were destroyed and many more damaged, and Kolkata and the Sundarbans faced strong winds and storm surge.

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas formed in the Bay of Bengal on 23 May 2021 and crossed the Odisha coast north of Dhamra, about 50 km south of Balasore, on the morning of 26 May with winds of 130-140 km/h. Sea flooding and heavy rain hit low-lying coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal, and the storm caused 20 deaths.

Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta since Sidr in 2007 and the first super cyclonic storm to occur in the Bay of Bengal since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. Despite occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities successfully evacuated over 3 million people.

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani was notable for its unusual northward track along India's east coast. The Odisha government's massive evacuation effort - moving 1.2 million people to safety - was praised internationally. The storm devastated Puri and surrounding areas.

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli made landfall near Palasa in Andhra Pradesh, close to the Odisha border, in the early hours of 11 October 2018 with sustained winds of 140-150 km/h. Heavy rain and flooding after landfall caused most of the damage across northern Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, damaging more than 127,000 houses.

The 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone was the strongest recorded tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean and one of the most destructive. The massive loss of life led to a complete overhaul of India's cyclone warning and disaster management systems. It was a turning point that led to the creation of better infrastructure and evacuation protocols.