Cyclone!

The coastal districts of Bangladesh, particularly those
flanking the Meghna estuary, are susceptible to serious
damage from cyclones, which cause major losses of life
and property. In the early summer (April and May) and
late in the monsoon season (September to November) storms
of very high intensity often occure. They may create
winds with speed of 100-150 miles per hour piling up the
waters of Bay of Bengal to crests as high as 20 feet
that crash with tremendous force onto the coastal areas
and offshore islands. Since the early 18th century, when
records were first kept, more than one million people
have been killed in such storms --815,000 of them in
three storm occuring in 1737, 1876 and 1970. Severe
storms also occured in May 1985 and April 1991. Lesser
hazards in the region are hailstorms, particularly in
March and April, and tornadoes.

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