Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila intensifies to one of season’s strongest storms ahead of Australian landfall

Maila is the seventh storm to reach severe tropical cyclone strength – above category three – this Australian cyclone season. Photograph: NASA Worldview

Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila has intensified to a category five storm over the Solomon Sea, days before an expected landfall in Australia.

It is forecast to hit along the far north Queensland coast just weeks after the same area was buffeted by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which made landfall on 20 March as a category four system.