11 cyclones seen for Oz

[Hannes van Rijn]

Building cyclone bears down on Oz WEATHER authorities have predicted that 11 cyclones are likely to affect Australia in the six-month season that starts next month.

WEATHER authorities have predicted that 11 cyclones are likely to affect Australia in the six-month season that starts next month.

The Bureau of Meteorology also warned that four of them are expected to make landfalls, with storm surges on peak tides, damaging waves, and coastal inundation.

Each season, cyclones disrupt shipping lanes and hamper ore and coal exports out of northwest and northeast Australia.

Last year, Cyclones Rusty and Narelle disrupted BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, and Atlas ore shipments out Port Hedland, Cape Lambert, and Dampier of the Pilbara.

Cyclone Oswald closed Weipa shipments before torrential rain shifted south, flooding mines, ports, rail facilities, and roads connecting Abbott Point, Hay Point, and Dalrymple Bay

[Nick Smith]

We run a Houseboat hire company on the Gold Coast and when we had the cyclones we had to close for 2 days and my dad was called to go down to work at 12:00am to make sure the boats were safe on the jetty. Lets hope not this year.