000 AGXX40 KNHC 061543 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1200 PM EDT SUN JUL 6 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... AN E TO W RIDGE FROM THE ATLC EXTENDS W ALONG 29N AND IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT N AND EXTEND E-W ACROSS THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAINS BETWEEN 30-32N THROUGH WED...THEN SHIFT BACK S WITH HIGH PRES CENTERED NEAR 28N87W THU. A BAND OF SE 20-25 KT WINDS CONTINUE ALONG THE SW PERIPHERY OF THIS RIDGE FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TO SE TEXAS. A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE YUCATAN CHANNEL THIS MORNING HAS BEEN MOVING W AT ABOUT 18 KT THE PAST 24 HOURS. THIS QUICK WESTWARD TRACK SHOULD MOVE THE N EXTENSION OF WAVE OFF THE W COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TONIGHT AND W OF THE BAY OF CAMPECHE LATE MON NIGHT. CONVECTION ALREADY FLARING OVER THE SW GULF SO EXPECT IT TO CONTINUE THROUGH MON NIGHT. A SLIGHT NE TO SE WIND SHIFT NEAR WAVE AND THEN EXPECT SE 15-20 KT OVER THE SW WATERS REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. CARIBBEAN... A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE GULF OF HONDURAS WILL MOVE W OF AREA EARLY TONIGHT. A SECOND TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 72W ATTM... WITH A WELL DEFINED BAND OF OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS AND BRIEF SHOWERS ALONG ITS AXIS AT 17N. THE WAVE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE W AT 18 KT TO ALONG 80W MON...AND THROUGH GULF OF HONDURAS TUE. THE GRADIENT W OF WAVE IS SUPPORTING 15-20 KT...BUT E OF WAVE THE LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT 25-30 KT NEAR COLOMBIA. THE GRADIENT RELAXES IN THE MIDDLE OF WEEK AS TROPICAL CYCLONE BERTHA PASSES NE OF THE NE ISLANDS. SOME NE SWELL FROM TS BERTHA WILL MAKE IT INTO EXPOSED NE ATLC PASSAGES TUE NIGHT INTO EARLY WED THEN SUBSIDE AGAIN WED NIGHT AS CYCLONE MOVES OUT TO NW. MODELS SUGGESTING TRADES STRENGTHEN AGAIN THU NIGHT AND FRI. TROPICAL ATLC...NE WINDS TO 15-20 KT OVER E-CENTRAL AND NE WATERS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN RESPONSE TO CYCLONE BERTHA APPROACHING. TS AND HURRICANE CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD INTO NE WATERS MON NIGHT THROUGH LATE MORNING WED AS BERTHA MOVES ON A NW TRACK ACROSS THE NE PORTION. MONITOR TC ADVISORIES FOR CHANGES IN TRACK AND INTENSITY. HEAVIEST WINDS...SEAS AND TSTMS OVER ITS N SEMICIRCLE SO ONLY THE EXTREME NE FORECAST WATERS WILL SEE THE WORST CONDITIONS. HOWEVER...LONG PERIOD N-NE SWELLS 8 FT AND HIGHER EXPECTED TO ARRIVE NEAR 20N55W AROUND SUNSET TODAY AND SPREAD W OVER THE AREA N OF 15N REACHING THE NE ISLANDS MON NIGHT. BERTHA MOVING W AT 18 KT...BUT NOW EXPECTED SO SLOW ITS SPEED LATER THIS WEEK...ALLOWING SEA HEIGHTS TO GROW HIGHER MAINLY NE OF THE CENTER. ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE FAR E ATLC EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ALONG 55W AROUND SUNRISE FRI INCREASING TRADES TO 20-25 KT S OF 14N. SW ATLC...A RIDGE FROM BERMUDA TO NE FLORIDA WILL SHIFT N TO ALONG 30N MON AND TUE THEN SHIFT BACK S AGAIN WED-FRI. FRESH EASTERLY 15-20 TRADES WILL CONTINUE S OF 25N E OF 78W TILL EARLY WED THEN DIMINISH SOME AS GRADIENT WEAKENS WITH HURRICANE BERTHA MOVING INTO E CENTRAL WATERS LATE WED NIGHT. WINDS WILL BACK FROM E TO NE OVER THE E PORTION LATE TUE INTO WED. LONG PERIOD E SWELL 8 FT AND HIGHER ARRIVE SE BAHAMAS WED NIGHT. ATLANTIC... .NONE. AMZ087...HRCN CONDS EXPCTD N OF 19N E OF 62W MON NIGHT-WED MORNING. AMZ080...HRCN CONDS EXPCTD 22N-30N E OF 71W WED NIGHT-FRI. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. .FORECASTER NELSON. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.