U.S. oil producers on Monday were scrambling to evacuate staff from Gulf of Mexico oil production platforms as forecasters predicted the second major hurricane in two weeks could tear through offshore oil producing fields.

Here's how other meteorological factors, like atmospheric pressure and cold fronts will help steer tropical activity away from the Texas Gulf Coast.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 was designated by the National Hurricane Center earlier Monday. The Hurricane Center does this when a disturbance is not meteorologically tropical, but has the potential to become one quickly and impact land.