000 AGXX40 KNHC 261615 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1215 AM EDT SAT JUL 26 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER FAR NW GULF NEAR 29N93W WILL BUILD SOUTHWARD INTO THE WEST CENTRAL GULF THROUGH SUN MORNING. THIS WILL MAINTAIN GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE FLOW ACROSS THE GULF. THE EXCEPTION IS THE BAY OF CAMPECHE...WHERE A QUIKSCAT PASS SHOWED MODERATE TO FRESH EAST WINDS BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES TO THE NORTH AND A TROPICAL WAVE MOVING TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA ACROSS THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT AS THE TROPICAL WAVE SHIFTS FURTHER WEST. BUOYS SHOW ONLY 1 TO 3 FT SEAS ACROSS THE WHOLE GULF...WITH HIGHEST BEING 4 FT OFF THE SOUTH TEXAS COAST. THE HIGH PRES WILL REMAIN OVER THE GULF THROUGH SUN...THEN SHIFT EAST INTO THE WESTERN ATLC. LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST INTO EARLY NEXT ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE AXIS...WITH UP TO 15 KT RETURN FLOW EXPECTED ALONG THE TEXAS COAST BY MON. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 KT OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE MON INTO TUE AS ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE MOVES SOUTH OF THE AREA. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...THERE REMAINS SOME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN GLOBAL MODELS CONCERNING THE POSSIBILITY OF 20 TO 25 KT WINDS OVER THE SW GULF WED INTO THU. WILL HOLD OFF INCREASING WINDS IN THIS AREA FOR NOW. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A TROPICAL WAVE ALONG 73W IS INTERACTING WITH HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA TO MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG EASTERN WINDS OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST CARIBBEAN. A SHIP OFF MOUNTAINOUS COLOMBIAN COAST REPORTED 25 KT EARLY THIS MORNING...JIVING WITH BUOY 42058 FURTHER NORTH REPORTING A STEADY 20 KT. SEAS OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST ARE POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 11 FT GIVEN WINDS. FURTHER EAST...A JASON ALTIMETER PASS FROM THIS MORNING FIT NICELY BETWEEN BUOYS 42058 AND 42059...ALL SHOWING 5 TO 7 FT SEAS OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. BUOY REPORTS AND SCATTEROMETER DATA ALSO SHOW MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES OVER THE TROP N ATLC WATERS AS WELL. THE TROPICAL WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN BY LATE SUN...WITH LITTLE CHANGE EXPECTED IN CARIBBEAN WINDS AND SEAS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A SECOND TROPICAL WAVE ALONG 47W WILL MOVE INTO THE TROP N ATLC SUN. HOWEVER THIS FEATURE IS IN THE PROCESS OF SPLITTING...AND THE MAIN ENERGY IS LIKELY TO REMAIN WELL TO THE NORTHEAST. THEREFORE WINDS WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY OVER THE TROP N ATLC WATERS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. LOOKING AHEAD...A THIRD TROPICAL WAVE NEAR 24W WILL MOVE INTO THE TROP N ATLC BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...THIS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN WINDS. SW N ATLC W OF 55W...RIDGE OF HIGH PRES EXTENDS GENERALLY E-W ALONG 29N...MAINTAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. A TROPICAL WAVE CURRENTLY LOCATED ALONG 47W AND AN ASSOCIATED 1012 MB LOW PRES NEAR 18N47W ARE APPROACHING THE DISCUSSION AREA FROM THE SOUTHEAST. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO SPLIT OFF FROM THE TROPICAL WAVE THEN WEAKEN TO AN OPEN TROUGH BY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS IT RECURVES TO THE NORTH. MOST OF THE ASSOCIATED WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN EAST OF 55W. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE CURRENTLY NEAR 24W WILL APPROACH THE AREA. THIS WILL ALLOW WINDS TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY IN THE AREA SOUTH OF THE RIDGE AXIS FROM THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS STARTING TUE. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.