000 AGXX40 KNHC 111757 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. SW N ATLC... BERTHA...THE FIRST MAJOR HURRICANE OF THE 2008 HURRICANE SEASON IS LOCATED ABOUT 260 NM SSE OF BERMUDA AND IS MOVING VERY SLOW TOWARDS THE NW OR 320 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS. THIS SLOW MOTION IS FORECAST TO PERSIST DURING THE NEXT 2 OR 3 DAYS DUE TO VERY WEAK STEERING CURRENTS. AS A RESULT...BERTHA IS NOT EXPECTED TO MOVE MORE THAN 300 N MI IN THREE DAYS WITH THE TROPICAL STORM FORCE RADII STAYING JUST E OF 65W. SO...A WARNING IS NOT REQUIRED FOR FOR THE SW N ATLC ZONE FOR NOW. WINDS OVER THE EXTREME NE PART WILL STILL REACH BETWEEN 20-30 KT WITH SEAS UP TO 12 FEET. ELSEWHERE...HIGH PRES WILL BE IN CONTROL WITH GENERALLY LIGHT WINDS AND A 5-7 FT EASTERLY SWELL HEADING TOWARDS FLORIDA AND THE BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON. A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL DRIFT INTO THE FAR NW WATERS SAT AND SAT NIGHT WITH PERHAPS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN PRE-FRONTAL SW WINDS. THE NEW RUN OF THE GFS MODEL SHOWS OCCASIONALLY SW WINDS OF 20 KT. AS BERTHA MOVES AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA ON SUN...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH TO LESS THAN 20 KT WITH SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FEET IN NE SWELL. A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE CURRENTLY LOCATED ALONG 40W/41W WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SOUTHERN WATERS LATE MON AND TUE WITH E/SE WINDS INCREASING TO 20 KT AND SEAS BUILDING TO 8 FT OVER THE SE PART. CARIBBEAN... STRONG PRES GRADIENT IN PLACE IS PRODUCING 20-25 KT EASTERLY TRADES OVER THE S/CNTRL CARIBBEAN AND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE UP TO 30 KT JUST OFFSHORE THE COLOMBIAN COAST BY TONIGHT. THE AREA OF STRONGEST WINDS CURRENTLY LIES E OF 80W BUT WILL EXPAND WWD WITH 20 KT DEVELOPING OVER THE GULF OF HONDURAS BY SAT NIGHT. THE TROPICAL WAVE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS BY SUN WITH WINDS LIKELY INCREASING TO 20 KT OVER THE CNTRL PART OF THE ZONE LATE SUN. THE WAVE WILL CROSS THE LESSER ANTILLES ON MON THEN MOVE ACROSS THE E CARIBBEAN TUE. A WELL DEFINED WIND SHIFT...NE TO SE...WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE WAVE AXIS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 20-25 KT EITHER SIDE OF THE WAVE AXIS. THE STRONG WINDS OVER THE W/CNTRL CARIBBEAN WILL CONTINUE SUN AND MON THEN DIMINISH ON TUE AS THE APPROACHING TROPICAL WAVE WEAKENS THE PRES GRADIENT. GULF OF MEXICO... RIDGE AXIS IS PARKED ALONG 28N AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE LITTLE THROUGH SAT NIGHT. WINDS WILL THEREFORE BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE N OF 25N AND E/SE 10-15 KT S OF 25N. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE S INTO N FLORIDA SAT AND SAT NIGHT WITH GENERALLY LIGHT W/NW WINDS DEVELOPING OVER THE NE GULF WATERS...AND A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM N FLORIDA SW TO NEAR TAMPA BAY. A WEAK HIGH PRES CENTER WILL FORM OVER THE WEST-CENTRAL GULF SUN THROUGH MON. THE ATLC RIDGE MAY BEGIN TO REBUILD TO THE W ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS ON TUE. BROAD LOW PRES IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE SE U.S. SUN THROUGH TUE. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .FORECASTER GR. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.