Western Australia’s resource sector braces for severe cyclone season in wake of BOM warning
Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) is predicting that the resource sector could be impacted by more than ten cyclones this coming season.
Mining and petroleum companies with operations in the western part of the country are forecast to experience around seven of those.
Australia’s tropical cyclone season typically runs from 1 November to 30 April—although, under the prevailing neutral climatic conditions, the first tropical cyclone to cross the Australian coast usually occurs in late December.
Four to make landfall
The 2024–25 Australian tropical cyclone season is expected to be around the long-term average, with 11 tropical cyclones forming in the Australian region.
Four of these are expected to cross the Australian coast and make landfall.
However, due to the warmer-than-average ocean temperatures forecast for the Australian region in the coming months, the likelihood of severe tropical cyclones is also forecast to be higher than average.
The average BOM forecast for the western region is seven tropical cyclones (TCs), while the northern region’s average is three.
The north-western sub-region’s average is around five TCs and the eastern region around four.
Weather hazards
The BOM’s national community information manager Andrea Peace said cyclones are not the only weather hazard in the Australian tropics.
She explained that tropical lows can also cause damaging winds, widespread rainfall and dangerous flooding.
Storm surges, including those from cyclones that don’t make landfall, are another major hazard to coastal communities.
“Due to rising sea levels, the risk of storm surge from tropical cyclones is likely to continue to increase,” she said.
“Any tropical cyclone can be dangerous and it only takes one to significantly impact communities.”
“Last year, we had eight tropical cyclones across northern Australian waters—four crossed our coast, bringing damaging winds and heavy rainfall, which led to flooding.”