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Australia's iron ore hub of Port Hedland closed on cyclone fears

Western Australia's iron ore hub of Port Hedland was shut due to an establishing tropical cyclone off the state's large Pilbara region, the port's operator stated on Saturday.

Pilbara Ports stated on its website that it closed the port at 9 a.m. regional time on Saturday and bought all port inner anchorages to leave by 6 p.m.

The system is expected to continue to intensify throughout Sunday, and by Monday, it said, adding the system was expected to heighten to a Category 3 cyclone, which the country's weather condition forecaster categorises as of mid-severity.

The weather condition forecaster provided on Saturday a gale-force winds alert for the coast of the Pilbara, a location two times the size of the UK, as the cyclone developed.

The establishing low is anticipated to move west, parallel to the Pilbara coast today and on Sunday. From Monday, the cyclone is expected to be moving southwest and far from the WA (Western. Australia) coast, it said.

Port Hedland is the world's greatest export point for iron. ore and is used by miners including BHP Group Fortescue. and billionaire Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.

(source: Reuters)