A number of elements to the oil pricing dynamic have been jostling for dominance in the market so far this week with the result that oil stands at somewhat of a crossroads.

As Hurricane Ike charged into the Gulf of Mexico and toward the Texas coast, officials prepared today to evacuate the first of a million residents who could be in the way of the storm’s path.

Hurricane Ike moved across the Gulf of Mexico today on its way towards the Texas coast after crashing through Cuba and toppling ageing Havana buildings.

Hurricane Ike roared south of Cuba's densely populated capital of fragile ageing buildings after tearing across the island nation, ravaging homes, killing at least four people and forcing 1.2 million to evacuate.

The remnants of Hurricane Gustav washed out the first day’s play at the BMW Championship today.

New Orleans was largely spared the wrath of Hurricane Gustav, but the BMW Championship will not be so lucky.

Some of the two million residents who fled New Orleans and Louisiana to escape Hurricane Gustav were returning to their homes today.

Mayor Ray Nagin gave New Orleans residents the go-ahead to return to the US city today, but with several warnings – many homes were without electricity or working toilets and a dusk-to-dawn curfew is still in effect.

ANXIOUS evacuees across America clamoured to come home yesterday after their city was largely spared by Hurricane Gustav, but Mayor Ray Nagin warned they may have to wait in shelters and motels a few days longer.

Oil prices fell to their lowest level in four months today as the threat from a weaker-than-expected Hurricane Gustav faded.

Hurricane Gustav crashed into a mainly-deserted US Gulf coast and delivered only a glancing blow to New Orleans as it weakened and headed inland today.

AS Hurricane Gustav threatened the Gulf Coast, US President George W Bush was out to show the nation that his government had learned the haunting lessons of Katrina and was ready to act.

Americans should come together and help support victims of Hurricane Gustav, the wife of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said today.

Hurricane Gustav crashed into a mainly-deserted US Gulf coast and delivered only a glancing blow to New Orleans as it weakened and headed inland today.

Presidential rivals John McCain and Barack Obama turned their attention to hurricane Gustav today as the Republican Party’s national convention was suspended.

Oil prices fell today as Hurricane Gustav hit the US coast at a weaker-than-expected strength.

Hurricane Gustav weakened slightly to a Category 2 storm as it headed towards New Orleans today, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

Oil prices fell back today as weather forecasters said Hurricane Gustav was not strengthening during its advance on the US coast.

Global warming may have made Hurricane Gustav slightly stronger and wetter, some scientists said today, but few were rushing to make a specific connection between climate change and stronger storms.

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain urged his party “to act as Americans, not as Republicans” and suspended most of his party’s national convention as Hurricane Gustav approached the US Gulf coast.

Republicans will suspend most of the activities planned for tomorrow’s opening of their national convention because of the threat of Hurricane Gustav, presidential hopeful John McCain announced tonight.

US President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will skip the Republican National Convention because of mounting concerns about Hurricane Gustav, the White House said today.

Irish people in New Orleans have been urged to keep in touch with family in Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs as the city braces itself for monster Hurricane Gustav.

Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, directing residents of a city still recovering from the devastation left behind three years ago from Hurricane Katrina to flee from the approaching Hurricane Gustav.

Gustav slammed into Cuba’s tobacco-growing western tip as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane while both Cubans and Americans scrambled to flee the storm as it roared toward the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans.

Gustav swelled into a fearsome Category four hurricane with winds of 145 mph today as Cuba raced to evacuate more than 240,000 people and Americans to the north clogged motorways fleeing New Orleans.

Hurricane Gustav is now a dangerous Category 3 storm with winds near 115mph, the US National Hurricane Centre warned today.

On the same day that New Orleans residents marked the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s wrath, another storm strengthened into a hurricane miles away and threatened to hit the US Gulf Coast once again.

Rescue workers were today considering evacuating New Orleans as it faced a hurricane threat three years to the day that Katrina devastated the city.

TROPICAL storm Gustav surged toward hurricane force last night as it drove toward Jamaica and aimed for the Cayman islands, prompting evacuations of tourists and offshore oil workers.

Tourists and oil workers fled today as Hurricane Gustav swamped eastern Jamaica on a path to hit the Cayman Islands with winds near hurricane force.

Tropical storm Gustav continued its destructive sweep across the Caribbean today, this time heading for Jamaica and the wealthy banking enclave of the Cayman Isles.

Stronger banking stocks helped shelter the London market from concerns about the impact of tropical storm Gustav today.

On the eve of Hurricane Katrina’s third anniversary, a nervous New Orleans watched as another storm threatened to test everything the city has rebuilt, and officials made preliminary plans to evacuate people, pets and hospitals in an attempt to avoid Katrina-style chaos.

Hurricane Gustav caused a killer landslide and dumped torrential rain on southern Haiti before weakening to a tropical storm today.

Tropical Storm Gustav was weakening this morning as it moved through the Caribbean, a day after hitting Haiti as a hurricane.

More than three million people in Haiti were bracing themselves today after a developing hurricane appeared to be heading for the capital.

Haitians were told to prepare for evacuations as Tropical Storm Gustav was set to hit the country’s southern coast as a full hurricane tomorrow morning.