000 AGXX40 KNHC 070554 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 0130 AM EDT SAT JUL 07 2007 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. SW N ATLC... A RIDGE AXIS LIES ALONG 28N EXTENDING W TO FLORIDA WITH THE STRONGEST GRADIENT LOCATED S OF 23N. THE RIDGE MOVES LITTLE THROUGH THURSDAY BUT STRENGTHENS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...AND INCREASES WINDS OVER THE FAR NRN AND FAR SRN PARTS OF THE AREA TO 20 KT. SEAS RESPOND OVER THE S PART OF THE AREA...S OF 24N...BY BUILDING INTO THE 6-9 FT RANGE AS ELY SWELL ADDS TO THE WAVE COMPONENT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A STRONG GRADIENT BETWEEN ATLC RIDGING AND SEMI-PERMANENT LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA HAS PRODUCED WINDS TO NEAR GALE FORCE OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT THE WIND EVENT HAS PROBABLY REACHED ITS PEAK AND SO GALE WARNINGS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THE ZONE OF 20-30 KT WINDS WILL REMAIN PLANTED OVER THE CENTRAL AND W-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH THURSDAY...THE ALSO SPREAD ACROSS THE ERN CARIBBEAN MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS THE ATLC GRADIENT STRENGTHENS. SEAS ARE ALREADY RUNNING AS HIGH AS 13 FT OFF COLOMBIA AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE 10-13 FT RANGE IN THAT REGION WITH THE WINDS PRODUCING ELY SWELLS. WINDS ACCORDINGLY INCREASE TO 20-25 KT OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WITH THE STRENGTHENING ATLC RIDGE. GULF OF MEXICO... A 1018 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO NEAR 27N87W. WEAK ANTICYCLONIC FLOW DOMINATES THE ENTIRE GULF GENERATING SEAS 1-3 FT...AND 4 FT IN THE SRN BAY OF CAMPECHE. THE ATLC RIDGE WILL BUILD WWD AND MERGE WITH THE GULF HIGH SUNDAY THEN DRIFT N FROM 27N TO 30N ON THURSDAY. THIS WILL TEND TO PRODUCE ELY 10-15 KT OVER THE S PART AND LIGHTER MORE VARIABLE WINDS OVER THE N PART. SEAS WILL BE HIGHEST OVER THE SW GULF WHERE THEY WILL BUILD TO 4 OR 5 FT BUT DECREASE TO NEAR 1 FT OVER THE NE GULF. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER FORMOSA