Tropical Cyclone Heidi weakened on Thursday, moving inland
over Australia's iron ore-rich western Pilbara region, but key export terminal
Port Hedland remained closed to boats, and heavy rain was still expected
inland.
Port Hedland, the region's largest iron ore port, was given
the all-clear signal by authorities, and people began to move back in Thursday
afternoon to check for damage. A spokesman for the port authority said early
reports indicated minimal damage, and a decision to reopen is likely within a
few hours.
Mining companies had stopped loading ships and halted trains
in the area Wednesday in preparation for the cyclone, a regular feature of
Australian summers.
Gervaise Greene, a spokesman for Rio Tinto PLC,
said the mining company had yet to make a decision on bringing boats back in to
Dampier and Cape Lambert ports to resume loading.
Leave a Reply