Tropical Cyclone Christina slams into Western Australia

GlobalPost

Residents of the Pilbara Coast in Western Australia are taking shelter as Tropical Cyclone Christine moves over the area.

The Category 3 storm with torrential rain and gale force winds of up to 190 kilometers an hour arrived overnight.

It crossed the coast between Karratha and Port Hedland last night, knocking out power for 7,000 residents, and is expected to move south in the early morning hours of Tuesday.

Port Hedland, South Hedland, Whim Creek, Roebourne, Point Samson, Wickham, Karratha and Dampier are all on red alert.

The cyclone poses a “threat to lives and homes” in these areas, Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in a statement Monday.

Australia is the world’s largest iron ore exporter and Port Hedland, located about 1,300 kilometers north of Perth, is the world’s largest iron-ore-export terminal. Port Hedland and two other ports halted iron ore shipments on Sunday in advance of the storm.

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