A low-pressure weather system brewing Monday in the Gulf of Mexico ceased to pose the threat of becoming a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.Another disturbed-weather threat looming in the western Caribbean, however, could transform into a tropical storm by the end of the week, according to Jay Grymes, chief meteorologist for WAFB.
Grymes said the disturbance — which would become Tropical Storm Bonnie — may work its way into the Gulf within 48 to 72 hours.”If it gets its act together, it could become a tropical storm,” Grymes said. “Once it gets into the Gulf, it has a whole new opportunity to get better organized.” Grymes said despite the impending threat, the potential weather is not yet a direct threat for Louisiana.The storm will most likely head toward Texas, similar to last week’s Tropical Storm Alex, according to Grymes.”Normally we wouldn’t spend a lot of energy on this storm,” he said. “But the Gulf oil mess is changing that. Anything in the Gulf will hinder cleanup.”Grymes said any form of a major storm — not just a hurricane — will hamper oil spill cleanup, with Hurricane Alex setting cleanup back three to five days.Grymes said a hurricane would be “somewhere between devastating and unthinkable” for continued restoration efforts in the Gulf. “Any storm that comes close to the coast, especially a storm that comes into Louisiana … will probably drive oil deeper into the marshes,” he said.The potential threat of Tropical Storm Bonnie comes just more than a month into the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1 and lasts until Nov. 30.—Contact Matthew Jacobs at [email protected]