Government or official record
World's deadliest tropical cyclone was 50 years ago
World Meteorological Organization
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Open article references → Why editors use it hereInternational meteorological overview of casualties and the later growth of preparedness systems.
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Quick read
On 12 November 1970, a powerful tropical cyclone drove a catastrophic storm surge across the low-lying islands and coast of what was then East Pakistan.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
A depression in the Bay of Bengal organized and accelerated northward.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 -
Uncertainty
The death toll is necessarily a range because entire settlements and records were lost.
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Why it matters
Bhola shows that a weather hazard becomes a political and humanitarian catastrophe through exposure, poverty, weak communication, and public trust.
Reviewed 4 August 2026
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Quick read