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|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default. Satellite image of the Flores cyclone on 28 April | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 26 April 1973 |
| Dissipated | 30 April 1973 |
| Category 3 severe tropical cyclone | |
| 10-minute sustained (BMKG) | |
| Highest winds | 150 km/h (90 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 950 hPa (mbar); 28.05 inHg |
| Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1,653 total (Deadliest tropical cyclone recorded in the Southern Hemisphere) |
| Areas affected | Indonesia, East Timor |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 1972–73 Australian region cyclone season | |
The 1973 Flores cyclone was the deadliest known tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere, having killed 1,653 people in Indonesia in April 1973. The cyclone formed in the Banda Sea on 26 April as a tropical low. It intensified as it moved in a west-southwest direction, before shifting to the south. On 29 April, the cyclone struck the north coast of the island of Flores, dissipating the next day. The cyclone killed 1,500 fishermen on Palu'e island. The cyclone dropped heavy rainfall across Flores, causing deadly flash flooding that damaged buildings and roads.