000 AGXX40 KNHC 081832 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT THU OCT 07 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES IS CENTERED OVER THE NW GULF OF MEXICO WITH THE PRES GRADIENT TIGHTEST OVER THE SE GULF BETWEEN THIS HIGH AND HURRICANE OTTO IN THE ATLC E OF THE BAHAMAS. N TO NE WINDS OF 15-20 KT ARE STILL BLOWING ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA WITH 10-15 KT NE WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REST OF THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF AND GENERALLY WEAKER ELSEWHERE. THE GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN OVER THE SE GULF AS OTTO CONTINUES TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE SW N ATLC INTO THE CENTRAL ATLC AND WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW 20 KT AS A RESULT. HIGH PRES WILL SHIFT E INTO THE N CENTRAL GULF SUN THROUGH TUE WITH MOSTLY LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS OVER THE EKEND AND SE WINDS PICKING UP TO 15 KT OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF EARLY NEXT WEEK. SW N ATLC AND TROPICAL N ATLC... OTTO IS NOW A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE LOCATED JUST E OF THE AREA. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 24N TO 28N E OF 67W. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DIMINISH BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE TONIGHT. AT 11 AM...OTTO WAS CENTERED NEAR 25.9N 64.0W MOVING E-NE OR 60 DEGREES AT 15 KT. A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...AND THE TROPICAL CYCLONE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE FORECAST REGION WHILE GRADUALLY ACQUIRING EXTRATROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. A LARGE WIND FIELD REMAINS ASSOCIATED WITH OTTO. WINDS IN THE 20 TO 33 KT RANGE ARE CURRENTLY COVERING THE AREA E OF 70W PER SURFACE DATA AND THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD ALONG 31N SUN THROUGH TUE WITH MOSTLY LIGHT WINDS IN THE SW N ATLC N OF 27N AND ELY WINDS IN THE 10 TO 15 KT RANGE IN MUCH OF THE AREA S OF 25N...WITH LIGHTER WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE SE PORTION DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH LEFT OVER THE REGION IN THE WAKE OF OTTO. CARIBBEAN SEA... THE FRESH TO STRONG S TO SW WINDS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTING THE NE CARIBBEAN IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE LARGE WIND FIELD OF HURRICANE OTTO ARE BEGINNING TO DIMINISH. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO A MORE TYPICAL DIRECTION...E AND SE...DURING THE WEEKEND. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF THE WEST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS SHOWER AND TSTM ACTIVITY REMAINS DISORGANIZED. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS APPEAR CONDUCIVE FOR SOME SLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES LITTLE DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. STRONG NLY WINDS FUNNEL S INTO THE SW CARIBBEAN W OF THE TROUGH AXIS. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DIMINISH OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN THROUGH SAT AS OTTO PULLS AWAY AND THE PRES GRADIENT WEAKENS BETWEEN OTTO AND HIGH PRES OVER THE NW GULF OF MEXICO...BUT WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE SW CARIBBEAN THROUGH MON OR TUE. THE FORECAST CALLS FOR THE TROUGHING TO REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN INTO TUE. A TROPICAL WAVE EXTENDING FROM 14N51W TO THE GUYANAS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TROPICAL N ATLC TONIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT WITH ACTIVE WEATHER NEAR THE NORTHERN END OF THE WAVE AXIS AND WINDS AROUND 20 KT ACCOMPANYING IT. WARNINGS... SW N ATLC... .AMZ088...TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM 24N-28N E OF 67W... CARIBBEAN... .NONE. TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/SCHAUER