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

The National Hurricane Center said Monday it is tracking a system in the Gulf of Mexico that could become Tropical Storm Helene in the coming days.

Hurricane watches were issued for parts of Cuba and Mexico on Monday as a cluster of storms located south of the Cayman Islands was expected to strengthen into a major hurricane in upcoming days while moving north toward the U.