| Track: | 1961 North Indian Ocean cyclone season summary map.png |
| Basin: | NIO |
| Year: | 1961 |
| First Storm Formed: | January 9, 1961 |
| Last Storm Dissipated: | October 25, 1961 |
| Strongest Storm Name: | Three |
| Strongest Storm Winds: | 50 |
| Strongest Storm Pressure: | 980 |
| Total Disturbances: | 18 |
| Total Depressions: | 8 |
| Total Storms: | 5 |
| Total Intense: | 2 |
| Fatalities: | 11,525 total |
| Five Seasons: | 1950s, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 |
| Atlantic Season: | 1961 Atlantic hurricane season |
| East Pacific Season: | 1961 Pacific hurricane season |
| West Pacific Season: | 1961 Pacific typhoon season |
The 1961 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November.[1] Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.[2]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 01-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | January 9 |
| Dissipated: | January 11 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 30 |
| Pressure: | 1006 |
A depression developed on January 9. It cut across northern Ceylon and southern India before dissipating on January 11.[3]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 02-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | February 18 |
| Dissipated: | February 21 |
| Type1: | deepdepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 30 |
| Pressure: | 1006 |
A deep depression developed in the Bay of Bengal on February 18. It moved generally northward and dissipated on February 21.[4]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 04-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | May 5 |
| Dissipated: | May 9 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 50 |
| 1-Min Winds: | 85 |
| Pressure: | 980 |
From May 6 - 9, the JTWC tracked this system as Tropical Storm Winnie.[5] [6] The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that the storm attained peak one-minute winds of 155abbr=onNaNabbr=on.[7]
In East Pakistan, 11,468 people were killed.[8]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 03-A 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | May 23 |
| Dissipated: | May 25 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 65 |
| Pressure: | 984 |
It caused considerable damage in southwestern India.[9]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 05-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | May 27 |
| Dissipated: | May 30 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 65 |
| Pressure: | 983 |
Caused considerable damage in East Pakistan, where wind gusts reached 155abbr=onNaNabbr=on.[10] A storm surge of 6.4m (21feet) was measured in Chittagong. Due advanced warnings, put out an unprecedented 36 hours before the storm, relatively few casualties took place.[7]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 06-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | June 8 |
| Dissipated: | June 13 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 30 |
| Pressure: | 994 |
Produced torrential rain over northeastern India, with Cherrapunji recording 1340mm of precipitation over a four-day span.[11]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 08-A 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | June 21 |
| Dissipated: | June 26 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 55 |
A severe cyclonic storm developed in the Arabian Sea on June 21. The system struck western India before dissipating on June 26.[12]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 07-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | June 27 |
| Dissipated: | June 28 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 20 |
A depression developed in the Bay of Bengal on June 27. The system struck the state of West Bengal in India and promptly dissipated.[13]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 10-A 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | June 27 |
| Dissipated: | June 28 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 20 |
The depression remained around the Gujarat Peninsula for several days, resulting in prolonged rains that amounted to 680mm in Junagadh.[14]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 09-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | July 1 |
| Dissipated: | July 2 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
The ninth depression of the season existed inland over eastern India. It developed on July 1 and dissipated the following day.[15]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 11-A 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | July 18 |
| Dissipated: | July 19 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 40 |
Another land depression briefly existed over western India from July 18 to July 19.[16]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Formed: | August 27 |
| Dissipated: | August 28 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 30 |
| Pressure: | 995 |
The twelfth depression of the season existed from August 27 to August 28.[17]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 13-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | September 6 |
| Dissipated: | September 16 |
| Type1: | deepdepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 30 |
| Pressure: | 992 |
Deep depression produced heavy rains over a large swath of northern India, with several areas reporting daily totals in excess of 300mm.[18]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 12-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | September 11 |
| Dissipated: | September 17 |
| 3-Min Winds: | 40 |
| Pressure: | 987 |
Heavy rains from the storm caused significant flooding in Vidarbha and Madhya Pradeshes.[19]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 14-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | September 22 |
| Dissipated: | September 23 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
The fifteenth depression of the season developed in the northern Bay of Bengal on September 22. It then struck West Bengal before dissipating on September 23.[20]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 15-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | September 27 |
| Dissipated: | October 2 |
| Type1: | deepdepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 30 |
A deep depression developed in the Bay of Bengal on September 27. The system then moved inland over West Bengal. It meandered inland until dissipating on October 2.[21]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 17-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | October 9 |
| Dissipated: | October 13 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
Significant flooding resulted from the depression's heavy rains, with 57 fatalities occurring in Uttar Pradesh.[22]
| Basin: | NIO |
| Track: | 16-B 1961 track.png |
| Formed: | October 24 |
| Dissipated: | October 25 |
| Type1: | niodepression |
| 3-Min Winds: | 25 |
| Pressure: | 1009 |
The final depression of the season developed in the Bay of Bengal on October 24. It soon struck the province of East Pakistan in Pakistan and dissipated on the following day.[23]