000
AXNT20 KNHC 182320
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
705 PM EST THU DEC 18 2008

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL 
AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS
OF SOUTH AMERICA...AND 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
2315 UTC.

...THE ITCZ...
ITCZ IS CENTERED ALONG 7N10W 5N20W 6N35W 5N52W. SCATTERED 
MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS FROM 3N-6N BETWEEN 
6W-10W...AND FROM 4N-6N BETWEEN 17W-22W. WIDELY SCATTERED 
MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 5N-7N BETWEEN 12W-15W...AND FROM 
6N-8N BETWEEN 31W-38W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 
4N-11N BETWEEN 47W-52W.   

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
A 1027 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE NEAR 
31N85W. 10-15 KT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS COVERS THE ENTIRE GULF OF 
MEXICO. PATCHES OF BROKEN LOW CLOUDS DOTS THE GULF WITH NO 
PRECIPITATION. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS 
CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL GULF NEAR 24N90W. STRONG SUBSIDENCE 
COVERS THE ENTIRE AREA. EXPECT THE SURFACE HIGH TO MOVE S TO THE 
EASTERN GULF IN 24 HOURS WITH CONTINUED MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
FRESH TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA. HARDILY ANY 
CONVECTION IS NOTED EXCEPT E OF TRINIDAD WHERE WIDELY SCATTERED 
MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 8N-12N BETWEEN 59W-61W. SCATTERED 
SHOWERS ARE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF PUERTO RICO... 
HISPANIOLA....JAMAICA...AND CUBA DUE TO NORTHEASTERLY FLOW. 
SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE ALSO OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN ALONG THE 
COASTS OF PANAMA AND COSTA RICA FROM 8N-13N BETWEEN 80W-84W. IN 
THE UPPER LEVELS...WESTERLY FLOW IS OVER THE ENTIRE CARIBBEAN 
SEA WITH STRONG SUBSIDENCE. EXPECT...LITTLE CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 
24 HOURS.
 
ATLANTIC OCEAN...
SURFACE RIDGING IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC W OF 70W. A 1015 MB LOW 
IS OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 33N57W. ANOTHER 1011 MB LOW IS 
FURTHER S NEAR 25N60W. A SURFACE TROUGH IS BETWEEN THE TWO LOW 
CENTERS. A 1033 MB HIGH IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC NE OF THE AZORES 
AT 41N21W. IN THE TROPICS A SURFACE TROUGH IS ALONG 54W FROM 
19N-13N. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 18N-20N BETWEEN 
52W-54W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A RIDGE IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC W 
OF 70W. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 
23N59W. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC BETWEEN 
20W-50W. 

$$
FORMOSA