000
AGXX40 KNHC 030740
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
345 AM EDT THU SEP 03 2009

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA
AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W.

GULF OF MEXICO STATIONARY EXTENDS FRONT FROM SW FLORIDA TO 
23N90W TO  25N97W HAS NOT DENTED FLAT PRES PATTERN ACROSS GULF 
WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE BREEZE.  SEAS ALSO REMAIN SLIGHT OVER 
ENTIRE GULF.  ONLY ASSOCIATED SCATTERED CLOUDINESS AND TSTMS 
DEFINE FRONT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BECOME DIFFUSE FRI.
 
ATLC SURFACE TROUGH FROM 30N76W TO 22N78W DRIFT NW AND MERGE 
WITH SURFACE TROUGH ACROSS FLORIDA PENINSULA FRI.  TROPICAL 
STORM ERIKA JUST ENTERING EASTERN CARIBBEAN FORECAST TO TRACK W 
AND WEAKEN INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE TODAY AS IT PASSES BY 
PUERTO RICO TONIGHT AND EASTERN HISPANIOLA FRI INTO SW N ATLC.  
MARINE INTEREST SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF ERIKA THROUGH 
AWIPS HEADER TCMAT1 OR WMO HEADER WTNT21 KNHC.

TROPICAL STORM ERIKA REMAINS DISORGANIZED WITH LARGE CLUSTERS OF 
CONVECTION WITHIN 300 NM OVER NE SEMICIRCLE.  LATEST ADVISORY 
HAS LOWERED MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS TO 35 GUST TO 45 KT. 
STRONGEST WINDS PRESENTLY IN NE SEMICIRCLE AND SE QUADRANT OF 
STORM.  ERIKA CROSS NE CORNER OF CARIBBEAN TODAY AND TONIGHT. 
ELSEWHERE...ERIKA HAS FLATTENED PRES GRADIENT AND EFFECTIVELY 
DIMINISHED ANY STRONG WINDS ACROSS MOST OF BASIN.  ONLY SMALL 
AREA ALONG COAST OF COLOMBIA ACCOUNTS FOR MODERATE BREEZE WHILE 
REMAINING CARIBBEAN WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE BREEZE.

WARNINGS
ATLC...
.TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM 16N TO 18N W OF 62W...AMZ087.

CARIBBEAN...
.TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 16N E OF 64W...AMZ086.

GULF OF MEXICO...
.NONE

$$
FORECASTER WALLY BARNES