000 AGXX40 KNHC 050705 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 305 AM EDT TUE MAY O5 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A RIDGE DOMINATES THE ENTIRE GULF REGION PRODUCING MODERATE E-SE BREEZE. THIS WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD. RETURN FLOW W OF 95W DIMINISH TODAY AS E-SE WINDS TAKE OVER ENTIRE AREA...BUT INCREASE ONCE AGAIN WED AS HIGH PRES OVER ATLC OCEAN REBUILDS. THE MOST RECENT QSCAT PASS...2358 UTC...SHOWED LIGHT TO MODERATE E-SE WINDS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ELY WINDS 20 KT WITHIN 80 NM OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. SW N ATLC... A SURFACE TROUGH IN THE EASTERLIES CONTINUES TO MOVE WWD ACROSS THE SW N ATLC. ITS AXIS EXTENDS ALONG 74W FROM 22N TO 29N. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 180 NM E OF AXIS. AN ELONGATED AREA OF 20-25 KT WINDS AND SEAS OF UP TO 9 FT IS NOTED SE OF THE TROUGH...BUT WINDS REMAIN UNDER 20 KT AND SEAS ARE LESS THAN 8 FT W OF AXIS. THE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT NW AND DISSIPATE LATE TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE W ATLC WED THROUGH SAT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A SURFACE TROUGH IS OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN WITH AXIS ALONG 64W/65W S OF 20N. SFC DATA AND AN EARLIER QSCAT PASS INDICATED THE ASSOCIATED WIND SHIFT. THE TRADE WINDS ARE BELOW 20 KT ACROSS MUCH OF THE BASIN DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SFC TROUGHS. AN AREA OF E-SE WINDS OF 20 KT WILL PERSIST OVER THE GULF OF HONDURAS MAINLY S OF 19N AND W OF 85W. INCREASED PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE SFC TROUGH OVER THE SW N ATLC AND A 1031 MB HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC N OF AREA HAS RAISED WINDS TO 20-25 KT OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC...PARTICULARLY N OF 16N. AN ASCAT OVERPASS AT 0052 UTC CONFIRMED THESE WINDS. MODERATE CONVECTION IS ALSO NOTED OVER THE REGION. LONG FETCH UNDER LARGE ATLC RIDGE BRINGS MODERATE SWELLS INTO AREA. ATLC... .NONE.. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FORECASTER GR. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.