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Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila is currently positioned in the Solomon Sea, nestled between the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
The Bureau of Meteorology projects that the cyclone will advance toward North Queensland by the weekend.
As of approximately 4 a.m., Cyclone Maila has intensified to a category five storm, boasting sustained winds reaching up to 215 km/h at its core.
According to the Bureau’s cyclone tracker, “The cyclone might make landfall on the Cape York Peninsula over the weekend or in the early days of next week.”
Before making its approach, it is anticipated to weaken to a category three storm at the minimum.
“Vaianu is expected to track south during the week, more or less making a beeline towards the North Island of New Zealand,” Weatherzone said.
“While it will no longer be a tropical cyclone, it is likely to hit Auckland and nearby areas during the weekend as an “extratropical cyclone”, a type of system which can pack as much strength as a category 2 or 3 cyclone in terms of its central pressure and wind speeds.”
The storm is currently category three and is not expected to make landfall in Fiji or Vanuatu.
Meanwhile, a third storm, currently a tropical low, is forming in the Indian ocean off to the north-west of Western Australia and Fiji.
The Bureau rates it a moderate chance to attain cyclone status from mid-next week.
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