Steel Products
Cyclone in Australia Downgraded to Category 1
Written by Sandy Williams
January 12, 2018
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology downgraded the status of Cyclone Joyce, off the far northwest coast, to Category 1. The storm made landfall along the Pilbara coast today at around 12:30 a.m. EST (0536 UTC). Winds of about 50 mph are expected to ease as the storm moves inland.
The iron ore terminal at Port Hedland was closed over Friday night as a safety precaution. The port handles more than one million metric tons of ore daily, most of which is designated for Chinese steel mills.
Cyclone Joyce was the second storm of the season to threaten the region. During the storm season from November to April, Australia generally sees 10 to 13 tropical cyclones. Most remain over the ocean, but an average of four cyclones cross the coastline each year.
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Sandy Williams
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