UPDATE 1-Vale iron ore, coal shipments delayed by rains

* Company expects to recover output in the coming months

* Says iron ore delay relatively small compared to output (Adds details on iron and coal output, background)

RIO DE JANEIRO Jan 27 (Reuters) - Heavy rains over recent weeks have interrupted Brazilian miner Vale's (VALE5.SA)(VALE.N) shipments of 600,000 tonnes of iron ore from Brazil and 500,000 tonnes of coal from Australia, a company director said on Thursday.

Roberto Castello Branco, director of investor relations, said the shipments were expected to be made up over the next couple months.

He said the iron ore delays were relatively small compared to the company's expected production in 2011 of 311 million tonnes.

The coal delays will have a greater effect on operations, given that Vale expects to produce around 5 million tonnes of coal in 2011 in Australia.

Heavy rains in Brazil this month caused floods that killed hundreds of people and slowed port operations in some places. Branco said the company last year prepared contingency plans to ensure that rains had only a limited effect on shipments. (Reporting by Denise Luna; Writing by Brian Ellsworth, Editing by Marguerita Choy and Jim Marshall)