Tropical Low 11U
09:00, Saturday 18 January 2025 (AWST)
As at 05:00 on Saturday, 18 January 2025, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) advises Tropical Low 11U is located northeast of Port Hedland.
The system has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone on Sunday as it moves in a general west or west-southwest direction parallel north of the Pilbara coast.
The system is expected to continue to intensify during Sunday, and by Monday, 11U is expected to have intensified into a Category 3 cyclone. By this time the cyclone is expected to be located well to the west of Exmouth and continuing to southwest, away from the coast.
Pilbara Ports has closed the Port of Port Hedland as at 09:00 on Saturday, 18 January 2025.
All port inner anchorages are to leave by 18:00.
All recreational vessel owners must safely secure their vessels for cyclonic conditions.
For the latest cyclone warnings visit www.bom.gov.au/cyclone
The port encompasses Varanus Island, the largest of the Lowendal Islands, and is used as a central gathering and processing hub for oil, gas and condensate supplied by nearby fields.
The Port of Varanus Island was transferred to Pilbara Ports as of 1 July 2021, as part of the ports governance reform program that is gradually transferring all commercial ports from the Shipping and Pilotage Act, to the Port Authorities Act.
The Port of Varanus Island is operated by Santos Ltd and the port waters is governed by Pilbara Ports in accordance with the Port Authority Act 1999 and Port Authority Regulations 2001 WA.
The Port of Varanus Island currently handles the following commodities:
condensate
oil