1876 Bengal cyclone

Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876

Meteorological history
Formed	29 October 1876
Dissipated	1 November 1876
Super cyclonic storm
3-minute sustained (IMD)
Highest winds	220 km/h (140 mph)
Lowest pressure	945 hPa (mbar); 27.91 inHg
Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS)
Highest winds	230 km/h (145 mph)
Overall effects
Fatalities	200,000 total
Damage	Unknown
Areas affected	Backergunge District, British Raj
Part of the 1876 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

The Great Backerganj Cyclone of 1876 (29 October – 1 November 1876) was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones in history. It hit the coast of Backerganj, Bengal Presidency, British India (near Meghna estuary in present-day Barisal, Bangladesh), killing about 200,000 people, half of whom were drowned by the storm surge, while the rest died from the subsequent famine.^[1][2]

Meteorological history

The cyclone formed over the SE Bay of Bengal as a depression near 10.0°N and 89.0°E on 27 October, intensified into a cyclonic storm near 15.0°N and 89.0°E on 30 October and subsequently intensified into a severe cyclonic storm with a core of hurricane winds. The cyclone moved north up to the North Bay and then NNE.^[1] On 31 October, the cyclone made landfall on Backerganj.^[2]

The maximum wind speed was estimated at 220 km/h (140 mph) and the surge height was 3–13.6 m (9.8–44.6 ft).^[1]

See also

• North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone
• An Imperial Disaster: The Bengal Cyclone of 1876

References

1. SMRC-No.1 – The impact of tropical cyclones on the coastal regions of SAARC countries and their influence in the region, SAARC Meteorological Research Center (SMRC),1998.
2. Chowdhury, Masud Hasan. "Cyclone". Banglapedia. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. Retrieved 6 August 2015.