000 AGXX40 KNHC 110801 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 350 AM EDT THU SEP 11 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HURRICANE IKE NOW 265 NM W OF KEY WEST FLORIDA MOVING NW 6 KT IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT ALL GULF ZONES WITH HURRICANE OR TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AND SEA HEIGHTS ABOVE 50 FT. IKE MOVES INLAND ALONG SE TEXAS COAST LATE FRI NIGHT OR EARLY SAT AS STRONG CATEGORY 3. PRESENTLY A CAT 2...IKE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS MORE FAVORABLE UPPER ENVIRONMENT SHOWS DECREASE IN WIND SHEAR AND A DIFFLUENT FLOW IN ADDITION TO WARM SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES. WARNINGS ISSUED BY NHC ARE UNDER WMO HEADER WTNT24/ MIATCMAT4 PROVIDE DETAIL INFORMATION ON TRACK AND INTENSITY OF IKE. WEAK ATLC RIDGE BUILDS W FOLLOWING IKE WITH SE FLOW OVER ERN HALF OF GULF SAT AND ENTIRE GULF SUN. SW N ATLC... TIGHT GRADIENT BETWEEN REBUILDING ATLC RIDGE AND HURRICANE IKE STILL DRAWS STRONG SE WINDS OVER SW N ATLC W OF 77W EXPECTED TO DIMINISH LATE TODAY. MODERATE WINDS OVER REMAINING OF BASIN EXPECTED TO HOLD AS WEAK SURFACE TROUGH MOVING W ALONG 60W BETWEEN 17N AND 24N. CARIBBEAN SEA... STRONG SW WINDS REMAIN FROM PASSAGE OF HURRICANE IKE N OF 19N W OF 80W EXPECTED TO MODERATE AS PRES PATTERN FLATTENS. ONLY WEAK SURFACE TROUGH JUST N OF LEEWARD ISLANDS HAS MODERATE WIND SPEEDS IN NE CORNER OF BASIN. HIGH PRES RIDGE BUILD W ACROSS CARIBBEAN FRI WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND SLIGHT SEAS. WEAK TROPICAL WAVE ALONG 80W HAS MODERATE SE FLOW WITHIN 120 NM E OF AXIS. WAVE WILL SPREAD W AT 15 KT. WARNINGS... SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON LATEST NHC ADVISORY ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... HURRICANE WARNING S OF 28N E OF 91W...GMZ080...GMZ082...GMZ084 GMZ086. FORECASTER WALLY BARNES. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.