AccuWeather.com

Concern of tropical storm impact on the Gulf of Mexico oil slick continues to grow this week, while light winds and smooth seas aid containment and extraction operations in the short term.

Short-Term Wind/Wave Forecast

Winds much of the week will be light and variable over the north-central Gulf of Mexico, translating to tranquil seas in the vicinity of the massive oil slick.

While crews were successful in inserting a tube within a portion of the leaking pipe in an attempt to siphon off some of the oil spewing from the sunken wreckage, additional oil continued to leak unabated at the site.

Waves were generally 1 to 2 feet in the vicinity of the oil slick Monday morning. Wave are expected to average at this mark or less through Thursday, thanks to light and variable winds much of the time.

Oil Slick Close to Loop Current

Over the weekend a large strand of the oil slick got close enough to a large, warm current over the east-central Gulf of Mexico to be grabbed and dragged southward.

This is a computer model's rendition of the state of the oil slick and water trajectories as of this past Saturday. The black area is the approximate location of the oil slick. The red circle is the site of the leak and the red area over the lower center of the image is the Loop Current. The image is courtesy of the College of Marine Science and the University of South Florida.

This strong flow of water, called the "Loop Current" could carry part of the slick farther and faster in days, compared to what took weeks in local, weaker currents.

This current and smaller swirls of water, called "eddies" could carry fragments of the slick just about anywhere in the Gulf of Mexico in the weeks and months ahead. It is similar what happens when adding creamer to a swirling cup of coffee. However, instead of the oil filling up the entire Gulf, "gobs and streams" of the oil could be carried great distances.

Watching the Tropical Atlantic this Week

AccuWeather.com Meteorologists, including hurricane expect Joe Bastardi are concerned about a rough hurricane season in the Atlantic basin.

Joe cautions that the season may get off to an early start in the Gulf of Mexico or western Caribbean.

Computer models are now hinting at an area of disturbed weather organizing in th general area of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

Computer models then suggest the disturbance may then drift or re-develop around the Bahamas late in the week, and could then migrate westward this weekend and early next week.

While the exact area where the feature will form is greatly uncertain, it is the fact that the models are also now pointing toward early development in the Tropical Atlantic this season.

Story by AccuWeather.com Expert Senor Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski