000 AGXX40 KNHC 151750 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT THU JUL 15 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A TROUGH IS MOVING FROM THE E GULF INTO THE CENTRAL GULF WATERS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT TO THE W THROUGH FRI. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND E GULF ZONES WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING STRIKES. OTHERWISE 1019 MB HIGH PRES IS CENTERED NEAR 27N90W WITH A RIDGE ALONG 27N. THIS RIDGE WILL LIFT N OF THE AREA TONIGHT AND FRI AS THE TROUGH MOVES WESTWARD. E-SE WINDS OF 20 KT ARE ALREADY BEING REPORTED BY BUOY AND SHIP OBS IN THE VICINITY OF THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA DUE TO A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN ATLC RIDGING AND THE TROUGH. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY FRI EVENING AS THE TROUGH WEAKENS AND MOVES TO THE W. A TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO THE NW GULF FRI NIGHT INTO SAT FROM THE TEXAS COAST DISSIPATING OVER THE N CENTRAL GULF SAT NIGHT. HIGH PRES WILL REDEVELOP ALONG 27N SUN SHIFTING BACK N OF THE AREA BY MON AS ANOTHER TROUGH ENTERS THE SE GULF REACHING THE CENTRAL GULF TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A TROUGH IS IN THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN WATERS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS OCCURRING IN THE VICINITY OF THE TROUGH WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH REMAINING N OF CUBA. A TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 66W WITH NE-E WINDS AROUND 20 KT OCCURRING IN THE CENTRAL AND NE CARIBBEAN AHEAD AND N OF THE WAVE. THE WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN TONIGHT THEN INTO THE W CARIBBEAN FRI THROUGH SAT AND INLAND SUN. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE OCCURRING N OF 15N BETWEEN 70W AND 80W ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW. THIS ACTIVITY WILL MOVE OVER HISPANIOLA AND EASTERN CUBA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE OCCURRING IN THE SW CARIBBEAN S OF 15N ASSOCIATED WITH THE ITCZ. ACTIVITY IS OVER COLOMBIA...PANAMA...COSTA RICA AND NICARAGUA WITH ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED THERE. ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE WILL APPROACH 55W SAT AND MOVE INTO THE E CARIBBEAN SUN THEN THROUGH THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN MON AND TUE. MEANWHILE A TROUGH EXTENDING FROM 21N55W TO 16N58W THIS AFTERNOON WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC THROUGH TONIGHT THEN NW OF THE AREA FRI. NE WINDS OF 20 KT ARE OCCURRING W OF THE TROUGH WITH E-SE WINDS E OF THE TROUGH ALONG WITH SEAS OF 8-11 FT. ANOTHER TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN PORTION SUN THEN NW OF THE AREA BY LATE MON...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF EASTERLY 20 KT WINDS AND SEAS OF 8-12 FT EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION. SW N ATLC... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS LOCATED OFF OF THE SE U.S. COAST AND IS HELPING TO DEVELOP SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS IN THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA. MEANWHILE AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS LOCATED NEAR THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WITH ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FIRING UP OVER HISPANIOLA AND CUBA. THESE FEATURES WILL DRIFT TO THE W DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. OTHERWISE A SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRES IS ALONG 28N AND WILL SHIFT N TO ALONG 30N TONIGHT THEN TO ALONG 31N FRI AND SAT AND THEN FINALLY N OF THE AREA SUN AND MON. LATEST WINDSAT AND ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASSES INDICATE E-SE WINDS OF 20-25 KT N OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS DUE TO A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND A TROUGH IN THE E GULF OF MEXICO. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL ENTER THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION THROUGH SUN. EASTERLY WINDS OF 20 KT ALONG WITH SEAS OF 8-11 FT IN E SWELL E OF THE BAHAMAS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION THROUGH FRI NIGHT THEN WILL DIMINISH TO 15-20 KT SAT AND SUN AS THE RIDGE RETREATS N OF THE AREA. ANOTHER TROUGH WILL ENTER THE SE PORTION LATE SUN MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH YET ANOTHER ROUND OF EASTERLY 20 KT WINDS AND SEAS OF 8-11 FT EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY