Two cyclones emerging in waters near Australia may impact the Queensland coastline, with only one likely to make landfall. Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila, currently situated in the Solomon Sea between the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, is projected to head towards north Queensland over the weekend.
As of 4 am, Maila has reached category five status, with wind speeds of 215 km/h near its centre. The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts that it could cross the Cape York Peninsula this weekend or early next week, although it is expected to weaken to at least a category three cyclone by then.
Another cyclone, Tropical Cyclone Vaianau, is located near Fiji and is not tracked by the Bureau but is anticipated to bring weather shifts to Australia. Weatherzone reports that as it moves southward, it could impact Auckland and surrounding regions this weekend as an extratropical cyclone, which can exhibit strength comparable to a category two or three cyclone in terms of wind speed and pressure.
Currently, Vaianau is rated as category three and is not expected to touch down in Fiji or Vanuatu. Additionally, a third storm, presently a tropical low, is developing in the Indian Ocean near Western Australia and Fiji. The Bureau of Meteorology considers it to have a moderate chance of developing into a cyclone by mid-next week.
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