000 AGXX40 KNHC 270617 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 217 AM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. SW N ATLC... SHORT-TERM (TODAY THROUGH MON NIGHT)...DEEP LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN U.S. HAS DIVIDED THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE W ATLC WITH A LARGE UPPER LOW S OF BERMUDA NEAR 27N63W. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A WEAKENING OF THE SFC RIDGE...WHICH EXTENDS FROM BERMUDA TO S FLORIDA...AND SFC WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT AT THE MOMENT. HIGHEST WINDS ARE OFF THE N COAST OF HISPANIOLA WHERE QSCAT SHOWS E WINDS 10-15 KT TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS. SFC RIDGE SLIPS A LITTLE FARTHER S ON MON EXTENDING ROUGHLY BETWEEN 23N-25N. LONG-TERM (TUE THROUGH THU)...SFC RIDGE STILL LIES ALONG 24N-25N ON TUE AND WED AND EASES N TO NEAR 26N ON THU. PRES GRADIENT INCREASES N OF THE RIDGE ON THU AND SW WINDS STRENGTHEN SLIGHTLY TO 10-15 KT. **************************************************************** CARIBBEAN... SHORT-TERM...STRONG TRADES ARE OCCURRING OVER THE S/CNTRL CARIBBEAN WITH LITTLE CHANGE EXPECTED THROUGH MON NIGHT. THE AREA OF STRONGEST WINDS MAY EXPAND IN COVERAGE AS THE ATLC RIDGE SHIFTS A LITTLE FARTHER S. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 8-11 FT...HIGHEST OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST...AS THE STRONG TRADES EXPAND. AN AMPLIFIED TROPICAL WAVE IS LOCATED WELL E OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS NEAR 49W THIS MORNING AND THE AXIS IS EXPECTED TO REACH 55W BY TONIGHT. MOST OF THE ENERGY WITH THE WAVE IS LIFTING NW SO LITTLE EFFECT IS EXPECTED WITH THE WAVES/WINDS. WINDS MAY INCREASE TO 15-20 KT MON NIGHT E OF THE NRN LEEWARD ISLANDS AS SECOND TROPICAL WAVE APPROACHES THE AREA AND INCREASES THE PRES GRADIENT. LONG-TERM...LARGE AREA OF 20-25 KT WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CNTRL CARIBBEAN ON TUE THEN BEGIN TO DIMINISH WED AND THU AS THE ATLC RIDGE SHIFTS N AND THE SECOND TROPICAL WAVE MOVES INTO THE REGION. THE WAVE IS EXPECTED TO CROSS 55W LATE TUE WITH 15-20 KT SPREADING ACROSS THE NRN TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS AS WELL AS THE NE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THU. **************************************************************** GULF OF MEXICO... SHORT-TERM...SFC RIDGE CURRENTLY LIES ACROSS THE CNTRL GULF ALONG 25N/26N BUT WILL SINK FARTHER S TO 24N TONIGHT AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPROACHES THE N GULF COAST. WLY WINDS WILL BE IN CONTROL OVER THE NRN GULF THROUGH MON BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN LIGHT. WINDS TURN MORE SLY OVER THE E/MIDDLE GULF MON NIGHT. LONG-TERM...SFC RIDGE BUILDS A LITTLE FARTHER W TUE THROUGH THU AND SHIFT N TO 26N AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WASHES OUT. THIS WILL ALLOW WINDS OVER THE SW GULF TO INCREASE TO 10-15 KT BUT SHOULD REMAIN GENERALLY LIGHT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION NEAR THE RIDGE AXIS. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .FORECASTER BERG. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.