Weather tracker: Cyclone Maila batters Solomon Islands with 115mph winds | Solomon Islands
Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila, currently in the Solomon Sea, is expected to continue moving southwestward in the coming days. Maila had peak sustained winds of 185 mph on Thursday, with winds of up to 160 mph on Thursday, making it the strongest hurricane ever recorded this far north of the Solomon Sea, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
The storm caused widespread damage across the Solomon Islands, particularly in the West, Choiseul and Isabel provinces, where schools, clinics and homes were damaged. With approximately 120 people displaced and almost 73,000 affected in total, the government is prioritizing humanitarian aid.
Maila is expected to move south of Papua New Guinea over the weekend, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to southeastern regions before moving into the Coral Sea. From Sunday the storm is expected to continue southwestwards towards the northern Queensland coast by early next week.
Meanwhile, prolonged extreme temperatures are affecting much of Vietnam; Temperatures exceed 40°C (104F) in central regions. Between Monday and Wednesday, Tay Hieu and Con Cuong in Nghe An province recorded high temperatures of 41.9C and 41.3C respectively.
The heat is expected to continue; temperatures exceed 35 degrees and peak around 40 degrees in Nghe An and Hue. Increasing electricity demand can strain power supplies, while low humidity can increase the risk of fire.
Strong winds and heavy rain have negatively affected southern South Korea since Wednesday, especially the southern islands including Jeju, Gwangju and Yeosu. Wind gusts of 65 mph were recorded in Udo, part of Jeju province. Ferries were stopped and approximately 250 flights were cancelled.
The Korea Meteorological Administration warned that rainfall rates of 20-30 mm per hour were possible, raising the possibility that Jeju could break the daily rainfall record of 101.6 mm set in April in 1998.
