Hurricane Isaias headed toward the US Gulf Coast, the US National Hurricane Center said, prompting mandatory evacuations and disrupting oil and gas production. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season, a category 2 Hurricane so far, Isaias is forecast to make landfall in Florida, Alabama or Mississippi on Friday night or early Saturday, according to the NHC.
Isaias comes unusually late in the season, which began on June 1, partly due to a strong El Nino weather phenomenon. El Nino causes strong vertical wind shear, dry air and sinking air over the Atlantic Ocean, hampering storm formation and intensification in the area.
