Heidi

History

Severe Tropical Cyclone Heidi developed from a tropical low that was identified approximately 290 kilometres south of Sawu, Indonesia on 9 January 2012. Moving southward in a highly favourable environment, the system intensified into a Category 1 cyclone on 10 January and continued to strengthen rapidly, reaching Category 3 severe tropical cyclone status on 11 January. Later that day, Heidi made landfall around 15 kilometres east of Port Hedland on Western Australia's Pilbara coast at peak intensity, with ten-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h and a central pressure of 960 hPa. The system weakened quickly after crossing the coast, degrading to a tropical low by 12 January and dissipating entirely by 13 January.

Ahead of landfall, authorities shut the Port of Port Hedland, closed the local international airport, halted offshore oil rig operations, and evacuated iron mines. A red alert was issued for the coastline between Pardoo and Whim Creek. Although Heidi's destructive core passed just east of Port Hedland, heavy rainfall and strong winds caused over 3,500 homes and businesses to lose power across Port Hedland, South Hedland, and Wedgefield. Rainfall totalled 168.5 mm at Pardoo Station and 108.4 mm at Port Hedland Aerodrome, producing minor road flooding. No casualties were recorded and damage was relatively minor overall. Despite this, the Bureau of Meteorology retired the name Heidi following the season, replacing it with Hayley.

Sources: Bureau of Meteorology report Wikipedia