Tropical Storm Could Form in Gulf of Mexico

An Air Force hurricane hunter aircraft is en route to a weak low pressure system passing over Florida to further gauge its potential to grow into a tropical storm over the Gulf of Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center is watching the storm closely, and indicated that "the environment is gradually becoming favorable for a subtropical or a tropical cyclone to form as the system moves westward into the eastern Gulf of Mexico later today." NOAA

The rapid development of storms this season has prompted speculation about global warming's influence on not only the intensity of storms -- already a hot topic of scientific debate -- but also its influence on the rapidity with which storms intensify. Hurricane Humberto grew into a hurricane from a disorganized system very quickly before striking Texas earlier this month.

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