FIRST TROPICAL STORM IN THE GULF?

Written by: Bob Metcalfe

An interesting scenario is starting to unfold in Weathermodelland. As the oceans warm we are obviously going to start seeing some tropical activity, and with the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, its obvious that high attention will be paid to these events.

Right now there's a cluster of thunderstorms in the Caribbean that show a possibility of not only strengthening over the next several days, but of also moving into the dreaded oil slicked spots.

My two cents: Its a long shot. Hurricane/tropical forecast is one of the most difficult things to do in all of forecasting. You're going to hear about any blip 7 days away for the rest of this year in national headlines for sure. While its going to be something to watch, this won't be the worst storm of the year in a meteorological sense, however even a weak storm could deliver a terrible punch to the area that is already on its knees because of the leak.