Australia iron ore, LNG ports clear ships amid cyclone warning
SYDNEY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Ex-tropical cyclone Lincoln is expected to intensify back to cyclonic strengths on Thursday night hitting Australia's northwest, the country's weather bureau said, as ports across the region began clearing ships from the site.
The Port of Dampier, which mostly ships iron ore from Rio Tinto RIO.AX, and the Port of Ashburton, used by Chevron CVX.N for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from its Wheatstone Marine Terminal, have started clearing vessels.
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All port anchorages are expected to be cleared by Thursday evening, operator Pilbara Ports said in its latest update. Ships docked at Varanus Island, a gathering and processing hub for oil and gas, are also being cleared.
Top global iron ore producer Rio Tinto and Chevron did not immediately respond to a request seeking comments on any impacts on operations.
No warnings have been issued for Port Hedland, the world's largest iron ore export hub, which lies more than 250 km (155 miles) north of the Port of Dampier.
Lincoln made landfall last week along Australia's northern coast near the Gulf of Carpentaria but was later downgraded to a tropical low. The weather system has since been tracking in a southwesterly direction toward the Western Australia state.
Storm warnings on Thursday stretched for more than 500 km, with Australia's Bureau of Meteorology warning heavy rains and wind gusts of up to 100 kph (62 mph) could hit the coastal regions from Friday.
As parts of Australia's northwest braces for a cyclone, bushfire warnings were issued across the southeast. A total fire ban is in place for most of Victoria state, with temperatures set to touch 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts.
Australia's December-February summer is under the influence of the El Nino phenomenon, which can cause weather extremes ranging from wildfires to cyclones and prolonged droughts.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Sonali Paul)