Strongest Cyclone On Record Nears Gulf

Rain From Cyclone Gonu -- the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Persian Gulf -- has reached the shores of Oman, prompting evacuations of some coastal areas. Accuweather, the commercial forecasting company, called the storm "monstrous and historically unprecedented" in a post on its Web site by meteorologist Jim Andrews. It is expected to make landfall Thursday, local time. The storm, however, is expected to miss the most important oil infrastructure. That would spare the world an increase in oil prices -- but only if tanker loading and other critical steps in the supply chain are not delayed. For the full story, click here.