Heavy rain has flooded parts of the Pilbara region in Western Australia, the state’s crown mining jewel.
The ABC reported the impacts of a slow-moving tropical low were first felt in Telfer, where Newmont’s mining settlement has seen 114mm of rain since Tuesday.
No word yet on whether Newmont’s Telfer gold-copper mine and Havieron gold-copper exploration project have been significantly impacted, though rains have begun to ease as of yesterday morning.
Newman – at the heart of BHP’s iron ore operations – was also lashed with 132mm of rain in 12 hours from Tuesday night.
The nearby Fortescue river broke its banks, causing flooding on major roads that has left communities isolated.
Marble Bar is one such mining town that has been cut off due to flooding. Global Lithium Resources’ tenements run adjacent to Marble Bar road, which has been closed to all vehicles.
All flights at the Newman airport, a gateway to the region for fly-in, fly-out workers, were grounded on Wednesday.
The ABC also reported the Pilbara Department of Fire and Emergency Services incident management team responded to a weather event at Tom Price, home to Rio Tinto’s namesake iron ore mine.
The rain follows a period of extreme heat in the region. The ABC reported temperatures reached 48°C at Paraburdoo on Monday the day before the rains hit.
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