Tropical Cyclone Maila continued to weaken as it meandered over the Solomon Sea on Friday. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Cyclone Maila was located at latitude 8.5°S and longitude 154.2°E which put the center about 450 miles (725 km) east of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Maila was moving toward the west-southwest at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 992 mb.
Tropical Cyclone Maila continued to weaken as it meandered over the Solomon Sea on Friday. Maila continued to move slowly back over cooler water that it had mixed to the surface of the Solomon Sea earlier this week. Many of the thunderstorms in bands revolving the center of Maila’s circulation dissipated because of the cooler Sea Surface Temperatures. Storms near the center of Maila generated very little upper level divergence. The small removal of mass in the upper levels of the atmosphere was much less than the convergence of mass in the lower levels. So, the surface pressure continued to increase on Friday.
The size of the circulation around Tropical Cyclone Maila decreased as Maila weakened. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 125 miles (200 km) from the center of Maila’s circulation.
Tropical Cyclone Maila will continue to be in an environment that will be slightly unfavorable for a strong tropical cyclone during the next 24 hours. Maila will be over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures were originally near 30°C. It will be under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Solomon Sea. The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Since Tropical Cyclone Maila has been moving slowly over the Solomon Sea, the winds near the surface of the ocean continue to mix cooler water to the surface. Maila will continue to move back over cooler water that has already mixed to the surface of the ocean earlier this week. The cooler water will prevent intensification of Tropical Cyclone Maila. Maila will continue to weaken slowly during the next 24 hours.
Tropical Cyclone Maila will move around the northern side of a high pressure system that is over the Coral Sea. The high pressure system will steer Maila toward the west during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Cyclone Maila will continue to move slowly toward the southeastern part of Papua New Guinea.
The center of Tropical Cyclone Maila will approach Woodlark Island in 24 hours. Maila will bring strong winds and locally heavy rain to the Kiriwina Islands, the D’Entrecasteaux Islands, and the Louisiade Archipelago. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations.