“Bomb cyclone” affecting port movements

02 Jul 2025 / New South Wales, Australia

New South Wales is experiencing severe weather due to a powerful coastal low-pressure system, often referred to as a "bomb cyclone" bringing destructive winds, heavy rainfall, hazardous surf conditions, and affecting port movements.

A Severe Weather Warning is in effect for damaging winds and heavy rainfall across multiple districts, including the Metropolitan, Illawarra, and South Coast regions.

A Flood Watch has been issued for southern parts of the Mid North Coast, Hunter, Hawkesbury-Nepean, Sydney Illawarra Coast, South Coast, and Snowy catchments.

A Hazardous Surf Warning is in effect for the NSW coast, with wave heights exceeding 7 metres in some areas.

Key impacts include:

  • Damaging winds with gusts up to 125 km/h recorded along the coast, including Sydney, Newcastle, and Illawarra.
  • Some regions have received over 200 mm of rain, resulting in flash flooding and prompting evacuation orders in parts of the Central Coast.
  • Sydney Airport has reduced operations to a single runway due to strong winds, causing numerous flight cancellations.

At Newcastle, inbound movements are restricted. It is unlikely that there will be any vessel movements throughout the day.

Movements at Sydney are being taken on a case-by-case basis. Port Botany movements were suspended yesterday (1 July), but conditions are expected to return to normal by Friday.

Sydney VTS request that all vessels berthed in Port Botany maintain a listening watch on VHF 12 at all times. Additional towage may have to be added at short notice. All immobilisation is prohibited for the duration of this weather event. Vessels in port should have their bow thrusters and main engines on standby and maintain an active listening watch on VHF 12 / 13 at all times. Outboard anchors should be lowered to the seabed. Mooring winches and lines should be tended to at all times, with mooring winches in manual tension mode and on the brake.

VTS Port Kembla advise that the only two movements that were scheduled for today had had to be deferred 24 hours as pilot would had been unable to disembark. Ships already in port are required to drop their seaside anchor and run extra lines as necessary. VTS, Pilots, and Harbour Master will assess conditions over the coming days to ensure the safety of the port is maintained.

For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Australia, contact GAC Australia at [email protected]

If quoting any content from Hot Port News, please cite GAC Hot Port News as the source.