PILBARA Ports Authority has announced Port of Port Hedland is now closed.
PPA closed the port at 1000 WST on Thursday (13 April) before Tropical Cyclone Ilsa reached category five strength.
PPA had been clearing ships out of the port since the early hours of Wednesday morning in anticipation of closure.
And, further up the coast, Kimberley Ports Authority closed the ports of Broome, Derby and Yampi Sound.
“A severe impact will occur along the coast and adjacent inland parts to the east of Port Hedland and west of Wallal Downs … later tonight or early Friday morning,” PPA said in a cyclone alert issued at 1230 WST.
“All berths and inner anchorages have been cleared.”
A report from Reuters noted Port of Port Hedland is used by BHP, Fortescue and Hancock Prospecting, while Rio Tinto exports out of the port of Dampier.
BHP reportedly told Reuters it was closely tracking the cyclone, that but its mining and rail operations were continuing.
And a Fortescue spokesperson told Reuters it had suspended shipping operations and non-essential travel to the port but it did not expect any significant impact to operations at that stage.
The latest available cyclone advice from the Bureau of Meteorology said the weather system will cross the coast between Port Hedland and Wallal Downs on Thursday night or early Friday morning.
“Destructive winds with gusts to 155 km/h will develop near the coast between Wallal Downs and Port Hedland this evening before extending inland as far as Marble Bar tonight and to Telfer during Friday,” the Bureau of Meteorology wrote.
“Heavy rainfall is expected along the track of Ilsa. 150 to 300 mm of rainfall is possible during tonight and Friday near where Ilsa crosses the coast, with falls gradually decreasing as it tracks inland.
“Abnormally high tides are possible about the coast between Bidyadanga and Port Hedland as the system crosses the coast tonight or during early Friday morning.
“In some locations the tide may be close to or exceed the highest astronomical tide of the year.”
