Wikipedia:Today's featured article/October 25, 2007

The 2000 Sri Lanka cyclone was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the country of Sri Lanka since 1978. The fourth tropical storm and second cyclone of the 2000 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, the cyclone developed out of an area of disturbed weather on December 25. It moved westward, and quickly strengthened under favorable conditions to reach peak winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The cyclone hit eastern Sri Lanka at peak strength, and weakened slightly while crossing the island before hitting and dissipating over southern India on December 28. The storm was the first cyclone to hit Sri Lanka with winds of at least hurricane strength since a 110 mph (175 km/h) cyclone hit in the 1978 season, as well as the first tropical storm to hit the island since 1992. The storm was also the first December tropical cyclone of hurricane intensity in the Bay of Bengal since 1996. It produced heavy rainfall and strong winds, damaging or destroying tens of thousands of houses and leaving up to 500,000 homeless. Nine died as a result of the cyclone. (more...)

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