000 AGXX40 KNHC 090730 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM EDT TUE SEP 09 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HURRICANE IKE CENTER NOW TRACKING W-NW JUST BETWEEN ISLE OF YOUTH AND MAINLAND CUBA EXPECTED TO ENTER GULF OF MEXICO NEAR 22.8N 83.6W LATE THIS AFTERNOON AS CAT 1 HURRICANE THEN MOVE NW ACROSS GULF TONIGHT THROUGH SAT...EXPECTED TO AFFECT ALL FOUR ZONES AND MAKE LANDFALL ALONG MID TEXAS COAST. WARM GULF WATERS AND FAVORABLE UPPER ENVIRONMENT MAKE IKE CANDIDATE TO INTENSIFY TO A MAJOR HURRICANE AGAIN BEFORE LANDFALL. WARNINGS ISSUED BY NHC UNDER WMO HEADER WTNT24 / MIATCMAT4 PROVIDE DETAIL INFORMATION ON TRACK AND INTENSITY OF IKE. WEAK ATLC RIDGE BUILD W BEHIND IKE WITH DIMINISHING SE FLOW OVER ERN HALF OF GULF BY SAT. SW N ATLC... EFFECTS OF HURRICANE IKE...PRESENTLY JUST S OF CUBA STILL FELT S OF 27N W OF 75W WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS MAINLY S OF 25N W OF 78W EXPECTED TO DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON AS IKE CONTINUES MOVING AWAY FROM AREA. CONDITIONS SUBSIDE AS IKE MOVE W ENTERING GULF OF MEXICO TUE. LINGERING STRONG SE WIND DIMINISH LATE THU WITH SEAS SUBSIDING FRI AND SAT. LIGHT TO MODERATE E-SE WINDS N OF 27N PRODUCED BY REBUILDING RIDGE ALONG 33N THROUGH FORECAST PERIOD. WEAK SURFACE TROUGH...REMNANTS OF JOSEPHINE...APPROACH 65W S OF 25N FRI SHIFTING WINDS NE...BUT REMAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE WITH SEAS LESS THAN 8 FT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ACROSS NRN CARIBBEAN THROUGH TODAY AS IKE MOVES AGAIN THROUGH CUBA TONIGHT INTO GULF OF MEXICO. EXPECT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS TO DIMINISH TODAY BUT STRONG SE WINDS WILL CONTINUE FEEDING IKE WITH MOISTURE ACROSS YUCATAN PASSAGE THROUGH FRI...LINGERING SWELLS LASTING INTO SAT. ELSEWHERE... TRADE WINDS LIGHTER THAN USUAL AS PRES PATTERN REMAINS WEAK THROUGH TUE THEN INCREASING AS IKE MOVES AWAY AND ATLC RIDGE REBUILDS WED BUT DIMINISH AGAIN SAT AS WEAK TROUGH MOVES S OF 25N W OF 65W IN SW N ATLC. WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE PRESENTLY ALONG 72W SPREADING W AT 15 KT. WARNINGS... SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON LATEST NHC ADVISORY ATLANTIC... HURRICANE WARNING S OF 24N W OF 80W...AMZ080. CARIBBEAN... HURRICANE WARNING N OF 20N W OF 81W...AMZ082. GULF OF MEXICO... HURRICANE WARNING S OF 26N E OF 88W...GMZ086. FORECASTER WALLY BARNES. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.