The first named storm of the Atlantic season has hit BP's oil spill clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane alex, upgraded from tropical storm status late last night and expected to hit the coasts of Mexico and Texas later today, is expected to interrupt the company's efforts for several days to come.

Waves as high as 3.6 metres (12ft) are expected to delay the company's plans to employ a further system to capture more oil from the blown-out oil well until later in the week, while controlled burns of crude on the oil's surface, flights spraying dispersant chemicals and booming operations were all halted yesterday, officials said.