Dean heads to Caribbean, new storm system in Gulf

MIAMI, Aug 15 (Reuters) Tropical Storm Dean charged through the open Atlantic toward the Caribbean islands today while a troublesome tropical weather system brewed in the Gulf of Mexico, causing concern in energy markets.

The fifth tropical depression of the year formed late yesterday in the central Gulf and was likely to strengthen into a tropical storm before hitting the oil- and gas-producing south Texas coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Energy markets have been on edge since the devastating Atlantic hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, when a series of powerful hurricanes, including Ivan, Katrina and Rita, ravaged the US Gulf coast. Roughly one-third of US domestic oil and gas production comes from the Gulf of Mexico.

The depression, which could become Tropical Storm Erin if its sustained winds reach 39 mph (63 kph), was located about 443 km east-southeast of Brownsville, Texas, today morning and was headed toward the west-northwest at about 13 mph (21 kph), the hurricane center said.

It had top winds of 30 mph (48 kph) and was forecast to strengthen in the next 24 hours.

On its current track, the storm would move ashore on the Texas coast tomorrow afternoon.

A tropical storm watch, alerting residents to possible storm conditions within 36 hours, was in effect from Freeport, Texas, south to Rio San Fernando, Mexico.

Tropical Storm Dean was still far out in the Atlantic, days away from land. At 1430 hrs today its center was located 1,170 miles (1,880 km) east of the Lesser Antilles, the string of Caribbean islands that stretches from Trinidad in the south to the Virgin Islands in the north.

It was moving to the west at about 18 mph (29 kph) and had 50 mph (80 kph) winds.

The hurricane center's long-range forecast had it crossing the Lesser Antilles near St. Lucia and Martinique late Friday as a Category 1 hurricane with top winds up to 95 mph (153 kph).

It was then expected to become a Category 3 hurricane with winds topping 110 mph (177 kph) as it headed through the Caribbean Sea toward Jamaica and Cuba early next week.

REUTERS SLD KN1902