On the morning of November 8, a depression formed in the south-central Bay of Bengal. It moved very slowly to the north, becoming a cyclonic storm on the next day. The cyclone continued to intensify as it approached the head of the Bay, becoming the third severe cyclonic storm of the season on November 11. That evening, it reached its peak intensity, with winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) with a well-developed eye, becoming the strongest storm of the season. On November 11 the Indian 5500 tonne freighter the Mahajagmitra reported wind speeds of 180 miles an hour and relayed a distress signal before it sank off the East Coast of India with 50 people on board. The vortex then made landfall on the coast of East Pakistan during the night of November 12. The cyclone weakened rapidly as it moved inland and dissipated on the next day, over south Assam.