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Australia’s largest iron ore port reopens following cyclone threat

A cyclone picking up speed offshore in northern Western Australia closed the nation’s largest iron ore export hub this weekend, but operations are now resuming.

The port’s owner, Pilbara Ports, issued a warning on Saturday January 18 that Port Hedland would be closed as Tropical Cyclone Sean was upgraded to a Category 3 by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

Now considered ‘severe’, Tropical Cyclone Sean is currently about 200km off the coast of Exmouth and is not expected to make it to shore.

Despite the cyclone heading south-west away from the coast, residents and businesses are still being affected by lashing rains and floods, as well as wind gusts of up to 140km per hour.

The city of Karratha is currently cut off by road, with the North West Coast Highway closed due to flooding.

According to the ABC, the cyclone has broken Karratha’s nearly 20-year rainfall record in a single day in a 270ml deluge.

All bulk carriers were ordered to leave Port Hedland by 6pm on Saturday, but as the cyclone heads away from shore, the port was reopened this morning.

The Ports of Dampier, Ashburton, Varanus Island and Cape Preston West are also closed and will also steadily reopen, with Dampier and Cape Preston resuming operations at 12pm today.

All major miners move product through Port Hedland, including BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue. In December 2024 alone, iron ore exports to global markets totalled 47.6 million tonnes.

As northern WA hunkers down amid the storm, Perth is enduring a heatwave that will see temperatures reach up to 44°C today.

The Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) recently warned workplaces of incoming storms and rising temperatures, encouraging employers to develop and adhere to a workplace heat management plan.

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