The world’s busiest iron ore export port avoided the brunt of a massive cyclone overnight. Ships had been cleared out of the harbour at Port Hedland in Western Australia ahead of yesterday’s arrival of Cyclone Ilsa. Ultimately however the destructive storm skirted the port as it made its way inland with the port reopening this morning at 11am.
The Bureau of Meteorology said Cyclone Ilsa might have delivered a new record for sustained wind speeds in Australia, with offshore wind gusts of up to 289 kmh.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has announced federal government assistance is on standby for people in the Pilbara region affected by the category five cyclone.
