MIAMI (Reuters) - The Atlantic hurricane season's seventh tropical storm formed in the central Caribbean on Monday and could strengthen into a hurricane before striking vulnerable Haiti, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.Tropical Storm Gustav threatened the impoverished Caribbean nation of 9 million with up to 25 inches of rain in some place, which could trigger deadly floods and mudslides.
It strengthened late on Monday and was expected to become a hurricane and hit Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, on Tuesday.
Oil prices rose as Gustav stirred concerns about disruptions to U.S. oil and gas output in the Gulf of Mexico and served as another reminder that this six-month storm season is shaping up to be busier than usual. At least one computer forecasting model showed the storm could enter the Gulf.
Hurricane warnings were issued for the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti west of Barahona.
Gustav was about 150 miles south-southeast of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, at 11 p.m. on Monday (0300 GMT on Tuesday) and was moving toward the northwest at 12 mph (19 kph), the Miami-based hurricane center said.
The storm's top sustained winds were near 70 mph (110 kph), and the center forecast the storm would become a hurricane on Tuesday, with winds of at least 74 mph (120 kph).
The storm was expected to be near or over southwest Haiti on Tuesday.
'INTENSE RAINS'
Haiti was still recovering from the passage of Tropical Storm Fay, the remnants of which were causing flooding across the U.S. southeastern states. Fay may have killed more than 50 people in Haiti last week, including dozens missing after floodwaters swept a bus down a river.
Forecasters said Gustav could produce rainfall of 5 to 7 inches over Hispaniola, with the possibility of 15 to 25 inches in isolated areas.
"These intense rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the hurricane center said.
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