Rio Shuts Bauxite Mines as Cyclone Hits Northern Australia

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(Bloomberg) — Tropical cyclone Narelle struck Australia’s northern Queensland coast on Friday, lashing the region with destructive winds and heavy rains that forced Rio Tinto Group to shut two bauxite mines. 

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The Amrun and Andoom mines were shuttered temporarily as a result of the storm, according to people familiar with the matter. In total, they supply about 30 million tons annually of bauxite, which is used to make aluminum.

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“The safety of our people and the surrounding communities is our top priority and our teams have been monitoring the weather situation and working with the relevant local and state authorities,” said a spokesperson for Rio, adding that “cyclone response plans” had been activated.

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Meanwhile, non-essential staff were evacuated from the world’s largest manganese mine ahead of Narelle’s expected passage near or over Northern Territory’s Groote Eylandt later this weekend, according to a spokesperson for South32 Ltd, which operates the project in a joint venture with Anglo American Plc.

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The powerful storm made landfall packing top sustained winds of 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour, placing it in the second-highest category in Australia’s five-step system for tropical cyclone severity, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. 

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As it tracks west across the Cape York Peninsula, the system is forecast to bring as much as 400 millimeters (15.7 inches) of rain on Friday and raise the risk of flash floods, the bureau said in a video forecast. While the region is sparsely populated, it is home to several bauxite mines owned by Rio and Glencore Plc. 

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Narelle had intensified rapidly leading into Thursday, fueled by low wind shear and warm ocean temperatures, according to the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The Coral Sea, where Narelle churned and gathered strength, has recorded months of above-average temperatures, helping to charge up the storm with energy. The system only weakened slightly as it interacted with shallower water and land, the Australian weather bureau said. 

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Forecasters expect Narelle to continue its westward track across northern Australia, regaining some strength as it emerges over the Gulf of Carpentaria and heads for a second landfall in the Northern Territory on the weekend. The system is forecast to move off Western Australia’s Kimberley coast early next week, the agency said.

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Narelle is the 10th named tropical cyclone to affect the region this season, according to official data. On average, the country sees 10 tropical cyclones each season, which runs from November through April, with three to four making landfall. 

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—With assistance from Joe Flynn.

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(Updates to add evacuation at manganese mine in fourth paragraph, and meteorological details in sixth and seventh paragraphs.)

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