000 AGXX40 KNHC 221824 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 225 PM EDT SAT AUG 22 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... ATLC HIGH PRES RIDGE EXTENDING INTO THE GULF HAS BEEN DISSECTED BY BILL...LEAVING A WEAK AND ELONGATED HIGH ACROSS THE MIDDLE GULF. THIS IS YIELDING LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN WITH HIGHEST WINDS AND SEAS IN THE SW GULF...AROUND 15 KT AND 4 FT. WEAK FRONTAL TROUGH WILL SINK SE INTO THE NRN GULF NEXT 48 HOURS BEFORE WASHING OUT...WITH A WEAK TROUGH AHEAD OF IT CURRENTLY FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA WSW INTO CENTRAL GULF ACTING AS A FOCUS FOR SCATTERED TSTM ACTIVITY...BECOMING VERY ACTIVE EACH AFTERNOON. CARIBBEAN... TROPICAL WAVE MOVING W ACROSS THE WINDWARDS ATTM WILL USHER THE RETURN OF ELY TRADES TO THE CARIBBEAN...AND FRESHEN THE FLOW BASIN WIDE BY MON. 15 TO 20 KT FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIB DEPICTED IN THIS MORNING QUIKSCAT PASS...WITH 20+ KT OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST. 20-25 KT FLOW BEHIND THE TROPICAL WAVE WILL SPREAD W ACROSS THE E CARIB NEXT 24 HOURS AND ACROSS CENTRAL CARIB MON...BUILDING SEAS 6-9 FT ACROSS MUCH OF THE BASIN...WITH MAX SEAS FORECAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIB ALONG ABOUT 14.5N AS OPPOSED TO THE TYPICAL COLOMBIAN MAX. ACTIVE TSTMS SHOULD PERSIST ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS WAVE. ATLANTIC W OF 55W... HURCN BILL HAS BEGUN TO TURN MORE N TODAY AND IS LIFTING OUT OF THE REGION...WITH LARGE 12 FT SEAS RADII COVERING MUCH OF THE N HALF OF THE SW N ATLC AREA THIS AFTERNOON. SW ATLC BUOYS HAVE BEEN DOMINATED BY 17-18 FT SWELL ENERGY...THAT THUS FAR HAVE PEAKED FROM 6.5 FT AT FT PIERCE FLORIDA TO 12 FT AT DIAMOND SHOALS OFF OF CAPE HATTERAS. THESE E TO SE SWELLS GENERATED A FEW DAYS AGO DURING BILL'S PEAK INTENSITY ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING HOURS BEFORE FADING AND BACKING TO THE E AND NE OVERNIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. LARGE SURF AND VERY STRONG RIP CURRENTS WILL PERSIST THROUGH TONIGHT ALONG THE COASTLINES...AND MAINTAIN HAZARDOUS NEAR SHORE MARINE AND SURF CONDITIONS. NORTHERN PORTION OF A TROPICAL WAVE...ANALYZED AS A TROUGH ALONG 45/46W IS FORECAST TO RACE WNW AND DEVELOP INTO A SHARP TROUGH NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...MOVING NW ACROSS EXTREME NE CARIB AND INTO SW N ATLC...WITH FRESH TO STRONG SE WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS BEHIND IT. GFS IS AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS FEATURE AND WILL BE MONITORED FOR STRONGER WINDS AND SEAS...AND POTENTIAL ORGANIZATION. WARNINGS ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE $$ FORECASTER STRIPLING