Oil recovery efforts in the Gulf of Mexico could soon face the first tropical storm of the season, with heavy seas and winds spreading the massive oil slick.
After polluting the coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the worst oil spill in US history is now shutting down beaches in Florida, AAP reports.
Weather forecasters say the storm, currently off the northeastern coast of Honduras, could head for the Gulf coast next week, complicating siphoning and cleanup efforts.
Meanwhile, BP shares have plummeted to a 13-year low in London after the group ramped up the cost of the spill so far to more than US$2.3 billion.