After potentially playing a role in the crash of Flight 447, the weathercould now hinder the efforts of many attempting to salvage the aircraft'swreckage.The salvage efforts will likely be hampered by heavy thunderstorms and highseas, which are both common in the tropics this time of year. Thesethunderstorms will develop often as the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)becomes more active over the next several months.

Salvage experts will likely have to fight heavy storms and rough seas almostdaily while trying to reach the remains of the airplane. In addition, largeclusters of thunderstorms will roll off the African coast about every few days.

If conditions are right, the thunderstorms can form into tropical depressionsor tropical storms.

The plane's debris were found in a part of the Atlantic Ocean with an oceandepth of 9,000 feet. In comparison, the Titanic's wreckage is 12,600 feet belowthe surface, a depth that requires special submarines to reach it.

While the heavier parts of a plane wreckage sink to the bottom of the ocean,the lighter parts will drift with the prevailing ocean currents, which flowfrom west to east and have an average speed of 5 mph. Provided these conditionsremain constant, it will take about a week for any floating debris to reach theAfrican coast.

Brazil's defense minister confirmed Monday that the debris found in theAtlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil is that of Flight AF 447. The debrisfound included plane seats, metallic objects and jet fuel stains in the water.

The Airbus 330-200 jet carrying 228 people took off from Rio de Janeiro Sundayen route to Paris and went missing Sunday evening, EDT.

Story by AccuWeather.com Expert Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity andMeteorologist John Dlugoenski and by News Correspondent Gina Cherundolo