Weather models suggest Dean may reach Gulf of Mexico

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some weather models Thursday morning forecast Hurricane Dean would strengthen into a dangerous Category 4 storm over the next five days and likely enter the Gulf of Mexico.

Earlier, all weather models had showed the storm heading from the Atlantic Ocean to either Central America or the Yucatan Peninsula.

Energy markets were watching the storm closely because it could disrupt U.S. oil and natural gas production or refining if it enters the Gulf of Mexico, which accounts for a third of U.S. oil production.

Of seven models, two showed the storm reaching the Gulf over the next five days. One put it in the central Gulf after crossing the western tip of Cuba and the other placed it in the southwest Gulf after crossing the Yucatan Peninsula.

Most of the models, including the U.S. National Hurricane Center model, however, showed the storm crashing into the Yucatan in about five days.

Two other models had the storm crashing into Central America in five days. One put the storm in Belize and the other placed the storm near the Nicaragua-Honduras border.