Tropical Storm Alex sets sights on Gulf of Mexico (AP)

Tropical Storm Alex headed overland toward the Gulf of Mexico, drenching Belize, northern Guatemala and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula with torrential rains, but was expected to miss the oil-slicked region.

Tropical Storm Alex headed overland toward the Gulf of Mexico, drenching Belize, northern Guatemala and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula with torrential rains, but was expected to miss the oil-slicked region.

ETF Database submits: The first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, tropical storm Alex, appears to be veering away from the center of the Gulf of Mexico and towards the Mexico/Texas border. The latest projections show that the storm is likely to hit somewhere between Northern Mexico and Central Texas with the dead center of the prediction currently located right next to Corpus Christi.

Concern grew Sunday that waves and strong winds could hamper the oil clean-up effort in the Gulf of Mexico with a storm system forecast to strengthen when it heads back over warm waters.Tropical Depression Alex was expected to return to storm status later Sunday when it moves back into the Gulf after barrelling across the Yucatan peninsula, the US National Hurricane Center said.The system was not expected to hit the oil spill area directly, but experts warned strong swells and winds would reach the slick.