El Nino curbs Australian cyclone threat to iron ore, coal miners

Australian exports of commodities such as iron ore and coal face a less-than-average chance of being disrupted by cyclones in the upcoming cyclone season due to the El Nino weather pattern. In Western Australia state, where past cyclones have brought some of the world's biggest mines and shipping terminals to a standstill, there's a 75-percent chance of fewer cyclones over the upcoming Nov. 1-April 30 period than in non-El Nino years, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Monday. Australia's biggest iron ore miner, Rio Tinto, was forced to cut its 2015 target for shipments by 10 million tonnes to 340 million tonnes after two cyclones disrupted operations last year.

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