new storm threatens

Pt Hedland is battening down again, as a storm approaches.

A key port for exporting iron ore from Australia's north-western Pilbara region is planning to shut down as a tropical low threatens to develop into a cyclone.
The Port Hedland Port Authority has commenced tie-down procedures and should complete these later Tuesday, the authority said in a statement.

Major users have chosen to sail vessels from the port--with the last vessel expected to leave the inner harbor in the afternoon--as increasing swells, storms and heavy rainfallare forecast for the area, the authority said.

The system is moving southwest along the coast of the iron ore-rich region. The Bureau of Meteorology said the tropical low could reach cyclone intensity Wednesday, with gale winds of 100 kilometers an hour hitting between Pardoo and Dampier.
"We will continue to keep a close eye on the development of this system and watch
for any signs of recurvature towards Port Hedland," the port authority said.

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