Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila is expected to move towards far north Queensland in the next few days and could cross the coast as early as next weekend.

Maila, at category three strength and moving slowing over the Solomon Sea, was this morning about 1000km east of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea (PNG). 

The bureau’s forecast track map puts the cyclone southeast of PNG by Friday morning, while retaining its intensity as it moves towards the top of Australia. 

“After passing PNG, Maila is expected to continue moving generally west, and towards the Cape York Peninsula, however, there is considerable spread in the speed of motion and an impact could occur as early as Friday night or be delayed until early next week,” the bureau says. 

Maila is heading for the Queensland region affected last month by Cyclone Narelle, which also made landfall in the NT and WA as it completed an historic journey across northern Australia. 

Narelle, a powerful category four system when it reached the Queensland coast, missed major population centres in the state. In WA it caused extensive damage to properties in Exmouth, more than 1200km north of Perth. 

The cyclone season runs from November 1 to April 30.