BP’s clean-up costs for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster have now passed the $3bn (€2.41bn) mark, the company said today.

An oil skimmer is being put through its paces in the Gulf of Mexico, but bad weather means it may be longer than first hoped before officials know if it can work full-time sucking crude from the sea.

I’VE just read that in the US, Hurricane Alex has pushed a huge oil slick towards Grand Isle on the Louisiana coast, already in imminent danger of inundation from BP’s Deepwater Horizon which is pumping between 50,000 and 100,000 barrels of oil a day into the sea.

The death toll in Mexico from flooding caused by former Hurricane Alex rose to six, authorities said.

The sprawling remains of Hurricane Alex has drenched much of northern Mexico, paralysing the major city of Monterrey.

London's FTSE 100 Index plunged more than 2% into the red today as recovery fears sent stock markets reeling worldwide.

Hurricane Alex ripped off roofs, flooded streets and forced thousands of people to flee coastal fishing villages today as it pushed into northern Mexico after making landfall as a powerful Category 2 storm.

Rough seas generated by Hurricane Alex pushed more oil from the massive spill on to US Gulf coast beaches today as clean-up vessels were sidelined by the storm.

BP and the US Coast Guard sent oil-skimming ships in the Gulf of Mexico back to shore because nasty weather from Hurricane Alex churned up rough seas and powerful winds.

ENJOY today’s sunshine while it lasts, because heavy rain is set to wash over the country in the coming days.

TROPICAL storm Bonnie began to make landfall in Florida’s Panhandle yesterday, while residents in the Florida Keys and southwest Florida prepared to meet the stronger Hurricane Charley.

THE legend of St Swithin’s Day may have jinxed our summer weather this year.

A British oarsman has spoken of the moment a rogue wave split his team’s boat - and delivered a “killer blow” to hopes of breaking the transatlantic rowing record.