SHOOT: The Hurricane season is 2 weeks away, meanwhile the waters are darker than usual, and covered in oil. Not only is there oil on the ocean surface but deep down as well. Recent temperatures have demonstrated ocean temperatures are already well above normal, up to .8 C, these are near all time records. And summer still has to set in. To all the folks still living along the Gulf - good luck.
Meteorologists say that climate conditions are ripe for an unusually destructive hurricane season, the storm-prone period that runs from June 1 to the end of November in the Gulf. Oceanographers say that could hurt the clean-up.
"If a storm comes into this situation it could vastly complicate everything," said Florida State University oceanography professor Ian MacDonald.
Recent Atlantic Basin readings showed water temperatures up to 0.8 degrees Celsius above normal, and near a record high for the season. El Nino, which creates wind shear that can prevent Gulf hurricanes from forming, has recently subsided. The factors could spur major storms in the Gulf this year.
Accuweather's Joe Bastardi also fears a destructive season.
"I hate to say it since the oil spill is already affecting people, but I think this hurricane season is going to be big," he said in an interview.
"I think what a hurricane would do is break up the oil spill, making it even harder to clean up," he said.
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clipped from www.reuters.com
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