Overview
- Tropical Cyclone Maila, which BoM downgraded repeatedly on Friday, is now a category one system lingering in the Solomon Sea and is expected to weaken further over the weekend.
- BoM says the system could enter the Coral Sea early next week and drift toward the coast north of Cooktown, though it may arrive as a tropical low rather than a cyclone.
- Authorities in Papua New Guinea warned Milne Bay islands such as Woodlark and Budi Budi about destructive winds and flooding, and local reports describe widespread damage in Solomon Islands, Bougainville and PNG with two deaths confirmed in PNG.
- Far North Queensland communities, including Lockhart River, are securing supplies and clearing debris as health officials in Cairns caution that heavy rain can raise the risk of melioidosis, a serious soil-borne infection.
- Meteorologists attribute the weakening to strong easterly wind shear and ocean upwelling that cooled sea surface temperatures to about 24–26°C, which stripped the storm’s eye and reduced central convection.