Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila has intensified to a category five storm over the Solomon Sea, days before it is expected to make landfall in Australia. The storm is predicted to hit the far north Queensland coast early next week, just weeks after Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle struck the same area as a category four system on 20 March.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said Maila was located over the Solomon Sea on Wednesday and was forecast to cross the Cape York peninsula early next week. Senior meteorologist Ilana Cherny noted that the storm would start to weaken as it moved south-west towards Australia, but there was still uncertainty about its strength as it approached. Maila has recorded a lower minimum pressure (924hPa) than Narelle (930hPa), indicating greater intensity.
Queensland communities could see impacts from the weekend onwards, including heavy rain, flood risks in already-saturated catchments, strong winds and hazardous surf. The cyclone's effects were already being felt in the Solomon Islands, with social media images showing destruction in remote parts of the Western and Choiseul provinces.
Maila is the seventh storm to reach severe tropical cyclone strength this Australian cyclone season, which runs from November to April. It is likely to be the seventh tropical cyclone to make landfall on the Australian mainland this season and the third to cross the Queensland coast. Meanwhile, Severe Tropical Cyclone Vaianu is expected to hit New Zealand around the same time, with the New Zealand MetService warning of potentially life-threatening winds.
Professor Liz Ritchie-Tyo from Monash University said global heating is expected to make cyclones less frequent but more intense. Preliminary observations suggest cyclones may be moving slower, meaning their effects last longer and they weaken more slowly upon landfall, highlighting the need for adaptation.
