<p>Hurricane Delta, the 25th named Atlantic storm this year, is moving toward the Gulf of Mexico and expected to take aim at the US Gulf Coast this week as a major hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said.</p>.<p>If Delta strikes the US Gulf Coast, it would break a record that dates back to 1916 for the most named storms to hit the United States, another milestone in a year marked by repeated natural disasters ranging from floods, to wildfires to tornados.</p>.<p>The storm was expected to drop heavy rains on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and head up the Gulf of Mexico toward landfall between Louisiana and Florida, possibly becoming a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday with catastropic damage to properties in its path.</p>.<p>Delta was 115 miles south southwest of the Grand Cayman islands on Tuesday "in the midst of a very impressive rapid intensification episode" with 110 mile-per-hour (175 km) winds, NHC forecaster Eric Blake said. Wind speeds could reach 130 mph (209 km) by Thursday.</p>.<p>It was the 25th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.</p>.<p>There have been so many Atlantic storms this year that forecasters have run out of pre-chosen names, turning to the Greek alphabet for the most recent. If Delta hits the coast, it would be the 10th named storm to strike the United States.</p>.<p>"This will be an impactful hurricane," said Dan Kottlowski, lead hurricane forecaster at AccuWeather. Warm water and a lack of wind shear will allow the storm to quickly strengthen, he said.</p>.<p>Delta's winds also could bring 30-foot seas to areas off the Louisiana coast, Kottlowski said, affecting shipping traffic and oil and gas production.</p>.<p>Gulf of Mexico oil and gas producers Chevron Corp, BP PLC, BHP Group and Occidental Petroleum have begun removing staff and securing offshore facilities.</p>.<p>This year's named storms so far have cost about $9 billion in insured losses, compared with $75 billion in 2017, according to Andrew Siffert, a vice president at reinsurance brokerage BMS Group.</p>
<p>Hurricane Delta, the 25th named Atlantic storm this year, is moving toward the Gulf of Mexico and expected to take aim at the US Gulf Coast this week as a major hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said.</p>.<p>If Delta strikes the US Gulf Coast, it would break a record that dates back to 1916 for the most named storms to hit the United States, another milestone in a year marked by repeated natural disasters ranging from floods, to wildfires to tornados.</p>.<p>The storm was expected to drop heavy rains on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and head up the Gulf of Mexico toward landfall between Louisiana and Florida, possibly becoming a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday with catastropic damage to properties in its path.</p>.<p>Delta was 115 miles south southwest of the Grand Cayman islands on Tuesday "in the midst of a very impressive rapid intensification episode" with 110 mile-per-hour (175 km) winds, NHC forecaster Eric Blake said. Wind speeds could reach 130 mph (209 km) by Thursday.</p>.<p>It was the 25th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.</p>.<p>There have been so many Atlantic storms this year that forecasters have run out of pre-chosen names, turning to the Greek alphabet for the most recent. If Delta hits the coast, it would be the 10th named storm to strike the United States.</p>.<p>"This will be an impactful hurricane," said Dan Kottlowski, lead hurricane forecaster at AccuWeather. Warm water and a lack of wind shear will allow the storm to quickly strengthen, he said.</p>.<p>Delta's winds also could bring 30-foot seas to areas off the Louisiana coast, Kottlowski said, affecting shipping traffic and oil and gas production.</p>.<p>Gulf of Mexico oil and gas producers Chevron Corp, BP PLC, BHP Group and Occidental Petroleum have begun removing staff and securing offshore facilities.</p>.<p>This year's named storms so far have cost about $9 billion in insured losses, compared with $75 billion in 2017, according to Andrew Siffert, a vice president at reinsurance brokerage BMS Group.</p>