Pilbara Ports Authority in Western Australia earlier on Thursday said it had started to clear large vessels out of Port Hedland, the world's biggest iron ore export hub, which is used by BHP, and issued a cyclone warning.

BHP, however, said the weather would have "no impact on the monthly shipment volume and (it) will maintain the original planned level," according to a CISA statement after a video call between its vice chairman, Luo Tiejun, and BHP representatives including Rod Dukino, vice president for marketing and sales.

BHP's iron ore production in the financial year that began in July 2020 is expected to remain strong and reach the upper limit of the guided range of 276 million-286 million tonnes, the statement added.

China is the world's top consumer of iron ore, which is used to make steel.

The most traded iron ore contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange, for delivery in May 2021, hit a contract high of 988.50 yuan ($151) a tonne in night trading on Thursday amid supply concerns.

($1 = 6.5403 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Tom Daly and Min Zhang; Editing by Bernadette Baum)