000 AXNT20 KNHC 081801 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 205 PM EDT THU MAY 08 2008 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL AMERICA...THE GULF OF MEXICO...THE CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA...AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...AND RADAR. BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1715 UTC. ...TROPICAL WAVES... TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 30W S OF 8N MOVING W 15-20 KT. SCATTERED MODERATE/WIDELY ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS WITHIN 90 NM OF LINE FROM 11N26W TO 5N32W. ...ITCZ... ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 5N7W 4N12W 2N15W 2N28W 2N39W INTO NE BRAZIL NEAR 1N47W. SCATTERED MODERATE/STRONG CONVECTION IS FROM EQ-5N BETWEEN 10W-16W. SIMILAR AREA OF CONVECTION IS FROM 6N-8N BETWEEN 14W-17W. CLUSTERS OF SCATTERED MODERATE/ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION ARE FROM 8N TO THE EQUATOR BETWEEN 19W-26W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS ANCHORED IN THE E PACIFIC AND COVERS THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH AXIS EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL MEXICO TO THE NE GULF. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS ACROSS THE NW GULF FROM THE TEXAS/LOUISIANA BORDER TO S OF CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS. NO PRECIPITATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT AS IT PROGRESSES SLOWLY EASTWARD. OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF 10-15 KT SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS PROVIDING FAIR WEATHER. CARIBBEAN SEA... UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTER IS NEAR 5N52W IN THE W ATLC WITH RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING ACROSS TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN SEA TO PUERTO RICO. ELONGATED UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS EXTENDS FROM THE THE SRN BAHAMAS TO N NICARAGUA. AN ASSOCIATED 1006 MB SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS ALONG THE COAST OF E PANAMA NEAR 9N76W. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN SEA MAINLY INLAND AND ALONG THE COASTS OF COSTA RICA...PANAMA AND COLOMBIA. 20-25 KT TRADEWINDS CONTINUE ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN SEA E OF 79W AND WILL PERSIST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ATLANTIC OCEAN... UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS COVERS CENTRAL FLORIDA TO W OF BERMUDA. THIS ANCHORS A 1022 MB SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NEAR 32N68W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDS FROM 32N56W 28N63W ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BAHAMA ISLANDS TO E CUBA. A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE AREA NEAR 32N53W TO 24N63W WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS WITHIN 90 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT. THE REST OF THE ATLC E OF 50W IS COVERED WITH ZONAL FLOW ALOFT N OF 16N. A 1027 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER NEAR 33N32W CONTINUES TO PROVIDE FAIR WEATHER TO THE E ATLC N OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. DUST CONTINUES TO STREAM OFF THE W AFRICAN COAST S OF 20N AND COVERS THE TROPICAL ATLC WESTWARD TO THE LESSER ANTILLES. $$ HUFFMAN