Cyclone Alert Stage 3 set

11 Apr 2023 / Port Hedland, Australia

Port Hedland is now at Cyclone Alert Stage 3 – Clear Port.

Vessel Masters shall ensure:
- Vessel's engines and machinery are fully operational.
- Vessel's stability, trim, and propeller immersion are appropriate.
- Vessel's manning, stores and bunkers are adequate for departure.
- Preparations are made in accordance with their respective cyclone response plan.

Terminal/berth operators are to ensure that :
- The latest cyclone forecasts are taken into account when planning operations over the coming days.
- The wharf areas are inspected for and cleared off / secured for any items that may have the potential to fall into the berth pockets or adjacent areas during periods of strong winds.

Shipping operations will continue as planned. Adjustments will be made based on prevalent and expected weather conditions associated with the tropical system.

Port Hedland inner anchorage is currently being cleared of vessels with no immediate berthing prospects.

The ports of Dampier, Ashburton, Varanus Island & Cape Preston West are at Cyclone Alert Stage 1 - (MONITOR). Shipping operations will continue as planned. Adjustments will be made based on prevalent and expected weather conditions associated with the tropical system.

At 2:00pm AWST, Category 1 Tropical Cyclone Ilsa has sustained winds near the centre of 75km per hour with wind gusts to 100km per hour. It was located within 35km of 14.5 degrees South, 121.2 degrees East , 400km north northwest of Broome and 700km north northeast of Port Hedland, and moving southwest at 13km per hour.

Tropical Cyclone Ilsa has developed and is expected to intensify further during Tuesday and Wednesday as it moves southwest, parallel to the Kimberley coast. There is a significant risk that this system will intensify into a severe tropical cyclone during Wednesday.

The system is expected to track to the south and then southeast during Thursday and a severe impact is likely along the coast and adjacent inland parts between Port Hedland and Broome, during late Thursday or early Friday.

Damaging winds with gusts to 90 km/h may develop between Beagle Bay and Pardoo, including Broome, during Thursday morning, and west to Whim Creek, including Port Hedland, if the system moves further to the west. Destructive winds with gusts to 140 km/h may develop between Bidyadanga and Pardoo during Thursday afternoon.

Heavy rainfall and squally thunderstorms are expected over the western Kimberley from Tuesday and may extend to the eastern Pilbara from Thursday and Northern Interior from Friday.

Abnormally high tides are possible about the coast between Broome and Port Hedland during Wednesday and Thursday. In some locations the tide may be close to, or exceed the highest astronomical tide of the year.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Australia, contact GAC Australia at [email protected]

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.