SYDNEY, April 13 Reuters Australia39;s northwest region, home to the world39;s largest iron ore export hub, braced on Thursday for the area39;s most powerful tropical cyclone in a decade, as a major port closed and residents rushed to stock up on essential supplies.

Cyclone Ilsa, located about 155 km off 96 miles Australia39;s coast in the Indian Ocean, was on Thursday afternoon upgraded to a category five storm, the highest rating.

The storm is expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early on Friday with winds of up to 315 km per hour 196 mph at its core, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

They39;ve got a lot of strength in them, the ability to not only destroy trees and knock down power lines but lift up those loose items in the yard, including trailers and caravans, meteorologist Miriam Bradbury told ABC television.

The weather bureau said in its latest update that Ilsa could impact a 600 km sparsely populated stretch from just north of Port Hedland eastwards to just south of tourist town Broome.

Port Hedland39;s port, the world39;s biggest iron ore export point, closed on Thursday morning after the port authority began clearing berths a day earlier.

The port is used by BHP Group, Fortescue and billionaire Gina Rinehart39;s Hancock Prospecting. Rio Tinto exports out of the Port of Dampier, to the west of Port Hedland.

The weather bureau issued a Red Alert for Port Hedland on Thursday afternoon, where wind gusts up to 155 kph are expected.

Its 15,000…