Images
April 7, 2026 - Tropical Cyclone Maila
Tweet
On March 6, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Maila.
Shortly after this image was captured, Malia had intensified to a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds of about 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) with gusts to 144 mph (232 km/h), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Malia was spinning over the Solomon Sea between Papua New Guinea and Solomons Islands and intensifying as forecasters suggest a wandering track that will likely take it southward to pass over the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea before heading to northern Queensland next week.
According to Yale Climate Connections, Tropical Cyclone Maila became the first hurricane-strength storm on record in the heart of the Solomon Sea north of 10°S. The high windspeed, lingering track, and nearness to the equator all work together to suggest that Maila will be a strong rain-maker, drenching many of the nearby islands with torrential rains as well as dangerous winds and high storm surge.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/6/2026
Resolutions:
1km (303.7 KB), 500m (957 KB), 250m (2.6 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On March 6, 2026, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Maila.
Shortly after this image was captured, Malia had intensified to a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds of about 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) with gusts to 144 mph (232 km/h), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Malia was spinning over the Solomon Sea between Papua New Guinea and Solomons Islands and intensifying as forecasters suggest a wandering track that will likely take it southward to pass over the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea before heading to northern Queensland next week.
According to Yale Climate Connections, Tropical Cyclone Maila became the first hurricane-strength storm on record in the heart of the Solomon Sea north of 10°S. The high windspeed, lingering track, and nearness to the equator all work together to suggest that Maila will be a strong rain-maker, drenching many of the nearby islands with torrential rains as well as dangerous winds and high storm surge.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/6/2026
Resolutions:
1km (303.7 KB), 500m (957 KB), 250m (2.6 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
