Perilous Times and Climate Change
Four new Storms Form in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; Could Become
hurricanes
July 6, 10:15 PM
Volusia County Headlines Examiner
Lisa Stephenson
An area of disturbed weather in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico off the
coast of Mexico could strengthen into a tropical storm by the end of
this week and become the second named storm of the season, Bonnie.
On Monday the National Weather Service reported that to make it to
tropical storm status the storm would need to work its way up to
cyclone force. While forecasters are predicting the storm will stay off
the coast of Mexico, they warn it could turn and head into the Gulf of
Mexico.
Officials with BP are already trying to get the Gulf oil spill clean up
efforts going again after Hurricane Alex put a halt to the clean up.
The area of low pressure was reported to be moving northwestward at
about 10 to 15 miles per hour had a "medium chance" of becoming a
tropical storm in the next 48 hours, according to The National Weather
Service.
The system is likely to bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the
area near the Yucatan Peninsula over the next day or two.
In another area of the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Morgan
City, Louisiana another storm with Tropical-like winds had a high
chance of becoming a cyclone before it made landfall. Officials said
the system moved quickly over land and died out before it could become
a tropical storm.
Another system is approaching two sides of Florida, one off the eastern
coast near Volusia and Flagler Counties and the other running along the
bottom of the state in Key West. The storm along Key West was not
developed very well and forecasters expect it to break up when it
reaches the Gulf of Mexico.