7 Deadliest Cyclones That Have Hit India Since The 1970s

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have been bracing themselves for the impact of cyclone Vardah, ever since the alarm was sounded by the India Meteorological Department about a week ago.

With wind speed of 90 to 100 kilometre per hour, the storm has already claimed 10 lives in Tamil Nadu.

While cyclone Vardah may be one of the biggest storms Chennai has seen in a decade, there are many others that that have left cities devastated:

• One of India's strongest cyclones was the one that affected Andhra Pradesh in 1977. With the lowest pressure of about 919 mbar, the cyclone claimed the lives of as many as 50,000 people.
• The 1999 Orissa (now Odisha) super-cyclone claimed the lives of over 15,000 people. Winds reached the speed of 260 kmph.
• The Machilipatnam cyclone in 1990 claimed the lives of over 950 people. The lowest pressure of the cyclone was about 920 mbar.
• Cyclone Hudhud in 2014, which hit major parts of eastern India and neighbouring Nepal, originated from a low-pressure system in the Andaman Sea. Over 124 deaths were reported during the time.
• The Gujarat cyclone in 2015 claimed the lives of over 84 people when it hit the western regions of India.
• Cyclone Thane in 2011 was a strongest tropical cyclone, which majorly affected Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone left at least 33 people dead.
• Cyclone Phailin in 2013 caused the deaths of over 23 people. It affected mostly the regions of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand.

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