Cyclone Maila

Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila was a very erratic and extremely rare tropical cyclone in the Australian region, becoming the first tropical cyclone to be named by the Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea since Cyclone Guba in 2007. It was also the strongest tropical cyclone in the Port Moresby's area of responsibility in recorded history. Maila was the twenty-third tropical low, eleventh tropical cyclone, and seventh severe tropical cyclone of the 2025–26 Australian region cyclone season. The origins of Maila stemmed from a tropical low, designated 37U by the Bureau of Meteorology, which was first designated on 2 April, located between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The tropical low crossed the 155th meridian east into Port Moresby's area of responsibility on 4 April, where it would begin to consolidate, being given the name Maila. Later that day and was upgraded to a Category 1 cyclone on the Australian scale. Maila began to quickly strengthen while moving sluggishly and erratically, and by the next day, the cyclone was upgraded to a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, or a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Over the next few days, Maila would slowly drift eastward whilst maintaining Category 3 status on the Australian scale, by 7 April, the cyclone would resume its intensification, reaching Category 4 status on the Australian scale, or Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Its rapid intensification would continue into the next morning, where it achieved Category 5 status on the Australian scale and Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.