Hurricane Dean moves into southwest Gulf
Source: Reuters
(Recasts, updates with latest advisory) NEW YORK, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Hurricane Dean moved into the southwest Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday afternoon after weakening to a Category 1 storm as it swept across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest update. Dean slammed into the Yucatan early on Tuesday as a dangerous Category 5 storm with winds topping 160 miles per hour, but quickly weakened to Category 1 status as it moved inland. At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), Dean was located about 60 miles (100 km) west-southwest of Campeche, Mexico, moving west at 20 mph with maximum sustained winds down slightly to 80 mph (130 km/hr). Dean was expected to continue on a west or west-northwest track for the next 24 hours. Computer models continue to show Dean crossing Campeche Sound in the southwest Gulf of Mexico, then making landfall early Wednesday afternoon in Mexico between Veracruz and Tampico. The NHC said some strengthening was expected during the next 24 hours, and Dean could be near major hurricane status again by the time it makes landfall. While Dean steered south of U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and natural gas production, the storm did disrupt Mexican oil output in the southwest Gulf. Mexico, one of the top three suppliers of crude imports to the United States, suspended crude shipments from its three major oil ports and shut in some 2.6 million barrels per day of crude oil output as a precaution against the storm. Mexico's total crude oil output in June averaged 3.2 million bpd. The storm had only minimal impact on U.S. oil and gas output. The U.S. Minerals Management Service said Tuesday that U.S. energy companies shut in roughly 43,881 bpd of Gulf of Mexico oil production and 140 million cubic feet per day of gas output due to the storm. The NHC will issue its next advisory at 8 p.m. EDT (2400 GMT). FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAXIMUM WINDS INITIAL 21/2100Z 19.4N 91.3W 70 KT 12HR VT 22/0600Z 19.8N 93.9W 85 KT 24HR VT 22/1800Z 20.5N 97.1W 95 KT...INLAND 36HR VT 23/0600Z 21.0N 100.5W 30 KT...INLAND 48HR VT 23/1800Z...DISSIPATED (NOTES -- Second column shows date and GMT time. To convert GMT time to EDT, subtract 4 hours. Third and fourth column show coordinates. Fifth column shows maximum sustained speed in knots. 1 knot = 1.15 mph. 34 knots or greater is tropical storm strength. 64 knots or greater is hurricane strength. U.S. offshore oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico is concentrated North of 27 degrees North and West of 88 degrees West.)
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