000 AGXX40 KNHC 010758 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 355 AM EDT SAT SEP 01 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES EXTENDS FROM OFF THE CAROLINA COAST INTO THE NE GULF. THE REMNANT LOW PRES OF ISAAC IS WELL N OF THE AREA OVER MISSOURI...BUT TROUGHING EXTENDS THROUGH E TEXAS. THE GRADIENT IS TIGHT ENOUGH BETWEEN THE RIDGE TO THE EAST AND THE TROUGH TO THE WEST TO SUPPORT FRESH SE TO S FLOW OVER THE NW GULF...AS REGISTERED BY BUOY OBSERVATIONS. THROUGH SAT...THE HIGH PRES BUILDS SW ACROSS THE GULF...SETTLING ALONG 25N/26N SUN THROUGH WED...MAINTAINING GENERALLY LIGHT E TO SE FLOW S OF THE RIDGE AXIS...AND LIGHT SW WINDS N OF THE AXIS. SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH WITH 2 FT OR LESS PREVAILING MON INTO WED. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM LESLIE...CURRENTLY CENTERED NEAR 17N53W IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO TRACK NW AND PUSH W OF 55W THIS MORNING AND INTO ZONE AMZ127...ATLANTIC FROM 19N TO 22N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W...LATE TODAY. LESLIE IS EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY TO A HURRICANE LATE SAT NIGHT/EARLY SUN MORNING. IT WILL MOVE TO THE NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS SAT AND SUN...AND IS FORECAST TO RECURVE N ALONG 62N/63N THROUGH WED AS A HURRICANE. FOR ZONE AMZ 127...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE FORECAST STARTING LATE TODAY E OF 60W...WITH HURRICANE FORCE WINDS FORECAST BY EARLY SUN...WITH SEAS BUILDING AS HIGH AS 25 FT. OTHERWISE THE MAIN ISSUE WILL BE EASTERLY SWELL GENERATED FROM LESLIE. WHILE THE TROPICAL STORM OR HIGHER WINDS FROM LESLIE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE WEST OF 65W...SE SWELLS GENERATED FROM LESLIE WILL RAISE SEAS 8 TO 16 FT RANGE E OF 71W FROM LATE SUN THROUGH WED. ELSEWHERE WEAK HIGH PRES LOCATED OVER THE CAROLINAS TODAY WILL REMAIN CENTERED BETWEEN THE GEORGIA COAST AND BERMUDA SAT THROUGH TUE...MAINTAINING LIGHT TO MODERATE EASTERN FLOW THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... SURFACE RIDGING N OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG ELY WINDS ACROSS THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THE REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT THEN WILL DIMINISH TO 15 TO 20 KT AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS. THE MAIN ISSUE WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT AND TRACK OF TROPICAL STORM LESLIE...NOW CENTERED NEAR 16N49W. LESLIE WILL MOVE TO THE WNW...PASSING 55W SAT...AS A HURRICANE BASED ON THE LATEST OFFICIAL FORECAST TRACK...AND TRACK NW TO WITHIN 240 NM NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS BY LATE SAT INTO EARLY SUN. CURRENTLY...THE MAIN IMPACT ON THE LEEWARD ISLAND WILL BE THE SWELLS GENERATING BY LESLIE...EXPECTED LATE TODAY WITH SEAS REACHING IN EXCESS OF 10 FT AND PERIODS OF NEAR 15 SECONDS. NEAR THE ATLC EXPOSURES. INTERESTS IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN VIGILANCE AS THIS SYSTEM DEVELOPS. TRADES ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN DIMINISH FURTHER THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WEAKENS AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROPICAL CYCLONE. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ZONE AMZ027...TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 15N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 60W. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N... .AMZ027...TROPICAL STORM WARNING THIS MORNING. SW N ATLANTIC... .AMZ127...HURRICANE WARNING EARLY SUN. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER EC