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Category 5 Cyclone Maila Barrels Towards Australia
8 Apr
Summary
- Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila is a category five storm over the Solomon Sea.
- It is forecast to make landfall on the far north Queensland coast early next week.
- Cyclone Maila has lower minimum pressure than Cyclone Narelle, indicating greater intensity.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila has intensified to a category five storm in the Solomon Sea and is projected to make landfall on Australia's far north Queensland coast early next week. This follows closely after Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle impacted the same area last month. Maila's current minimum pressure of 924hPa indicates it is more intense than Narelle.
Forecasters anticipate Maila will begin weakening as it moves southwest towards Australia, with landfall most likely occurring late Monday between Lockhart River and Cairns. Communities in Queensland could experience heavy rainfall, flood risks in saturated catchments, strong winds, and hazardous surf from the weekend onwards.
Meanwhile, Severe Tropical Cyclone Vaianu, currently a category three system, is heading towards New Zealand's North Island, with forecasts predicting damaging winds by the weekend. Experts suggest that global warming may lead to fewer, but more intense, cyclones that also move slower, prolonging their impact.
