Western Australia’s Ports Reopen After Tropical Cyclone Zelia

SYDNEY, Feb 15 (Reuters) – Western Australia’s ports of Dampier and Varanus Island reopened, the ports’ operator said, after Tropical Cyclone Zelia hit the state’s Pilbara iron ore region on Friday.

Pilbara Ports said on its website late on Friday that the ports, a gathering and processing hub for oil and gas, reopened after being shut on Thursday evening as Zelia, the most severe storm to hit the Pilbara coast since Cyclone Ilsa in April 2023, approached.

“Pilbara Ports has undertaken inspections of navigation aids, channels and berths and has confirmed safe operations can resume,” the operator said in the alert.

Zelia brought heavy rain and wind gusts up to 290 kph (180 mph) when it made landfall. Its approach prompted the closure of the world’s largest iron ore hub, Port Hedland, on Wednesday. The r…