000 AGXX40 KNHC 161921 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 345 PM EDT SUN AUG 16 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... TROPICAL DEPRESSION FOUR FORMED OVERNIGHT OFF THE W CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST AND HAS NOW BEEN UPGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM CLAUDETTE. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 KT WITH GUSTS TO 55 KT. CLAUDETTE IS FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN TO 55 KT BEFORE IT MAKES LANDFALL OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. ACCORDINGLY...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS EFFECT FOR THE NE GULF WATERS N OF 28N E OF 87W THROUGH TONIGHT. ONCE THE SYSTEM MOVES INLAND...WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD QUICKLY DECREASE FROM S TO N. THEN ATTENTION TURNS TO TROPICAL STORM ANA WHICH IS FORECAST TO TRACK INTO THE SE GULF THU. HOWEVER...ANA IS ONLY EXPECTED TO BE A TROPICAL DEPRESSION AT THAT TIME AS WEAKENING IS EXPECTED DUE TO INTERACTION WITH LAND/TERRAIN OF HISPANIOLA AND CUBA. CARIBBEAN... ANA IS HANGING ON AS A TROPICAL STORM E OF THE AREA NEAR 14.8N 55.8W. SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST AS IT APPROACHES THE LEEWARD ISLANDS LATE TONIGHT AND THEN MOVES NW NEAR PUERTO RICO MON. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE E CARIBBEAN WATERS N OF 16N E OF 72W LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUE. LATEST NHC TRACK TAKES ANA OVER THE ISLANDS OF HISPANIOLA AND CUBA TUE THROUGH THU...WHICH WOULD CAUSE WEAKENING. SINCE ANA HAS BEEN A SMALL STORM WITH MUCH OF THE ASSOCIATED STRONG WINDS N OF THE CENTER...HIGHEST WINDS AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE FAR N CARIBBEAN WATERS AND OVER THE ISLANDS. TROPICAL N ATLC... TROPICAL STORM ANA NEAR 14.8N 55.8W AT 1500 UTC MOVING W 20 KT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO 45 KT. LATEST SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOWS A LARGE SWATH OF 20-30 KT WINDS EXTENDING WITHIN 480 NM N OF THE CENTER WITH A SMALL ZONE OF WINDS GREATER THAN 30 KT. WINDS ARE GENERALLY LESS THAN 20 KT S OF THE CENTER. ANA WILL CONTINUE ON A QUICK W TO WNW TRACK AS IT STRENGTHENS SLIGHTLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS PATH...ANA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE W OF THE ZONE LATE TONIGHT. TROPICAL STORM BILL...A STRONGER AND LARGER STORM...IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE STRENGTHENING AS IT APPROACHES THE AREA. LATEST NHC FORECAST BRINGS BILL TO A MAJOR HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE ZONE WED MORNING AND THEN TRACKS NW ACROSS THE N HALF OF THE AREA. AS A RESULT...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED HEADLINE HAS BEEN POSTED. SW N ATLC... AN INVERTED TROUGH ALONG 66W/67W...ASSOCIATED WITH A MID TO UPPER LEVEL LOW...IS TRACKING W ACROSS THE ZONE. WINDS ARE GENERALLY 10-15 KT ACROSS THE AREA. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER THE SE WATERS TONIGHT AS TROPICAL STORM ANA MOVES CLOSER. HOWEVER...LATEST FORECAST TAKES THE SYSTEM OVER HISPANIOLA AND CUBA. BASED ON THIS TRACK...WARNING/HEADLINES ARE NOT NEEDED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...A SLIGHT NWD ADJUSTMENT WOULD REQUIRE ONE. STRENGTHENING BILL IS EXPECTED TO NEAR THE FAR E PART OF THE ZONE BY THU. HOWEVER...LATEST TRACK HAS SHIFTED E FROM EARLIER ALLOWING THE PREVIOUS HURRICANE HEADLINE TO BE LOWERED TO A TROPICAL STORM HEADLINE FOR S OF 24N E OF 66W. WARNINGS ATLC... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM 15N TO 18N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...AMZ087 CARIBBEAN... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 16N E OF 72W FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUE...AMZ086. GULF OF MEXICO... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 28N E OF 87W THROUGH TONIGHT...GMZ084 AND GMZ086 $$ FORECASTER CANGIALOSI