Tropical Cyclone Narelle
14:00 Tuesday 24 March 2026 (AWST)
As at 14:00 on Tuesday 24 March 2026, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) advises Tropical Cyclone Narelle is moving offshore of the west Kimberley coast and towards the west southwest.
The environment is favourable and it will likely re-intensify into a tropical cyclone tonight. Accordingly, there is a risk of gales affecting the west Kimberley coast before the system moves further offshore.
Model guidance is generally consistent in intensifying Narelle into a strong system and the forecast indicates category 3 Wednesday night and category 4 Thursday. There is high confidence in the track to the west-southwest during Wednesday and Thursday, roughly parallel to the Pilbara coast.
As of 18:00 Tuesday 24 March 2026, Pilbara Ports will begin clearing berths from the Ports of Ashburton, Cape Preston West, Dampier and Varanus Island.
All recreational vessel owners must safely secure their vessels for cyclonic conditions.
For the latest cyclone warnings visit www.bom.gov.au/cyclone.
For specific information regarding your location, please refer to DFES emergency alerts website.
Consultation with port proponents to finalise the review of the Port of Port Hedland development plan is well progressed and is expected to be finalised soon.
The new plan, which has been endorsed by the State Government, will enable the growth of iron ore exports to 660 million tonnes per annum. This will support proponents’ throughput aspirations and maximise exports from the port.
The Port of Port Hedland Land Use Master Plan 2030 will provide an overview of the port including:
The plan will also provide an overview of trade trends for key commodities and new trade opportunities and outlines port specific land use and development strategies for each port planning precinct.
View the following pages for further information on Pilbara Ports approach to planning and development.
Port planning and development
Lumsden