Tropical Cyclone Maila strengthened to the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon as it meandered over the Solomon Sea on Sunday. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Cyclone Maila was located at latitude 9.3°S and longitude 154.7°E which put the center about 500 miles (805 km) east of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Maila was moving toward the east-southeast at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 973 mb.
Tropical Cyclone Maila strengthened to the equivalent of a hurricane/typhoon on Sunday. A small circular eye formed at the center of Maila’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Tropical Cyclone Maila. Storms near the center of Maila generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical cyclone. The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.
The size of the circulation around Tropical Cyclone Maila increased as Maila intensified on Sunday. Wind to hurricane/typhoon force extended out 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Maila’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 175 miles (285 km) from the center of Tropical Cyclone Maila.
Tropical Cyclone Maila will continue to be in an environment that will be favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Maila will be over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 30°C. It will be under the northwestern part of an upper level ridge that is over the Solomons. The upper level ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Maila’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the wind shear will not be enough to prevent intensification. Tropical Cyclone Maila will intensify during the next 24 hours. Maila is could strengthen to the equivalent of a major hurricane.
Tropical Cyclone Maila will continue to be in a region where the steering winds are weak during the next 24 hours. Tropical Cyclone Maila is forecast to meander over the Solomon Sea because the steering winds are weak.
Elsewhere over the South Pacific Ocean, Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was intensifying northwest of Fiji. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was located at latitude 15.1°S and longitude 172.6°E which put the center about 405 miles (655 km) west-northwest of Nadi, Fiji. Vaianu was moving toward the south-southeast at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 987 mb.