BP's nightmare?

Tropical Storm watch: Will Bonnie bombard the oil spill?

Just less than two months after the official start of hurricane season, a second storm has officially earned name status: Sustained winds near the southern tip of Florida reached the tropical storm minimum of 40 mph to form a loose Tropical Storm Bonnie.

Though Bonnie is already over land in the Miami/Florida Keys area and showing signs of degenerating, dipping into the Gulf again could cause the storm to strengthen.

Current projections of Bonnie's route through the Gulf of Mexico take the storm directly over the areas worst affected by the BP oil spill — all the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastlines are potential landing sites.

Even without a strong, centralized storm, Bonnie has already delayed BP's efforts to permantly cap the blown well by causing rough seas. Powerful winds and waves could push more oil into wetlands, and deposit more oil and tar balls on beaches.

However, scientists at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) say that high winds and seas could also mix and "weather" the oil, helping it biodegrade.

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This Week's Hot Headlines

New Memorial City development leads Houston's top 5 stories this week

Courtesy of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

Greenside will feature a one-acre greenspace.

Editor's note:It's time to recap the top stories on CultureMap from this past week. The top Houston news includes a family-friendly Memorial City development, a Montrose pizzeria closure, and a stylish new lounge for Upper Kirby. Get the details below, and find fun stuff do in town this weekend here.

1. New development with 1-acre green space coming to Memorial City area. The rapidly growing area will soon be home to Greenside, boasting a mix of restaurant, retail, and other family-friendly businesses, designed by the Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

2. Creative Montrose pizzeria will shutter after only a year-and-a-half. ElRo Pizza & Crudo will close at the end of the year, due to a steady decline in business.

3. Stylish new lounge shakes up Houston with art-inspired drinks and caviar. Cheers to this new nightlife spot, which is now open in Upper Kirby.

Sante cocktail lounge Sante's Garden Room is decorated with two olive trees. Photo by Chris Furia

4. These are the 6 most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters. One of these ZIPs is also among the 10 most affordable in the U.S.

5. 15 Houston restaurants crafting nostalgic and decadent ice cream sundaes. The classic ice cream sundae is having a moment, and these restaurants are serving up decadent versions.