 Barrel rapidly intensified, fueled by record warm ocean waters. It's the earliest Category 4 Atlantic hurricane to form this early in the season, which began June 1st. Forecasters expect the hurricane to move westward over the next few days and remain a hurricane headed for Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Debbie Elliott, NPR News. Critical futures prices gain ground today. Oil up 2.3 percent to settle at 83.38 a barrel in New York.