Australia closed large bulk export Port Hedland on cyclone threat

Western Australia’s Port Hedland closed on Saturday due to a developing tropical cyclone, the bulk export port authority Pilbara Ports reported on January 18. Port of Port Hedland is a large bulk export port, with exports including iron ore, lithium and salt. Meanwhile, the port authority closed the ports of Dampier, Ashburton, Varanus Island and Cape Preston West as at 20:00 on Saturday, January 18.

Pilbara Ports closed the Port of Port Hedland as at 09:00 on Saturday, 18 January 2025.

As at 05:00 on Saturday, January 18, the Bureau of Meteorology advises tropical low 11U is located northeast of Port Hedland, the port authority said in an alert statement.

As at 21.23 on Saturday, January 18, the Bureau of Meteorology advises tropical low 11U is continuing to develop, while it tracks to the west southwest, remaining well offshore and parallel to the Pilbara coast, said on Sunday in a new update the authority.

“The system has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone on Sunday as it moves in a general west or west-southwest direction parallel north of the Pilbara coast,” port operator noted.

The system is expected to continue to intensify during Sunday, Pilbara Ports warned, and by Monday 11U is expected to have intensified into a Category 3 cyclone.

By this time the cyclone is expected to be located well to the west of Exmouth and continuing to southwest, away from the coast.

“All port inner anchorages are to leave by 18:00. All recreational vessel owners must safely secure their vessels for cyclonic conditions,” reads the port’s authority alert.

To remind, Pilbara Ports is a large bulk export port authority, which encompasses the ports of Ashburton, Dampier, Port Hedland and Varanus Island, and the future ports of Anketell, Cape Preston East and Balla Balla.