000 AGXX40 KNHC 220707 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 320 AM EDT FRI OCT 22 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... SLY RETURN FLOW OF 20 KT HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED OVER THE NW PORTION OF THE GULF N OF 25N AND W OF 94W BETWEEN A 1017 MB HIGH PRES LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF LOUISIANA AND LOWER PRES OVER TEXAS. SFC DATA AND ASCAT PASS FROM AROUND 0300 UTC VERIFIED THESE WIND SPEEDS. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS DOMINATE THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS. TRADE WINDS WILL INCREASE IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND SOUTH-CENTRAL GULF FRI NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT AS TROPICAL STORM RICHARD INTENSIFIES IN THE NW CARIBBEAN. WINDS WILL APPROACH 25 KT WITH BUILDING SEAS TO 8 FT. TROPICAL STORM RICHARD IN THE NW CARIBBEAN IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA MON AS A HURRICANE. SW N ATLC... ATLC TROUGH EXTENDS FROM 31N67W TO THE NW BAHAMAS. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE E AND EXTEND FROM NEAR 31N56W TO 25N63W FRI EVENING AND FROM 31N52W TO 27N56W SAT EVENING. THE THROUGH WILL GRADUALLY DISSIPATE AS IT CONTINUES TO MOVE EWD. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE TROUGH ACROSS THE AREA. THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE HIGH TO THE N AND TROPICAL CYCLONE RICHARD TO THE S OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA FRI NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT. IN ADDITION...INCREASING ENE TRADES TO AROUND 20 KT ARE ALSO EXPECTED S OF 27N. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... TROPICAL STORM RICHARD IN THE NW CARIBBEAN NEAR 16.0N 80.3W AT 0600 UTC IS FORECAST TO REACH HURRICANE STATUS ON MON BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. CURRENTLY... TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS CAN BE FOUND WITHIN 90 NM E SEMICIRCLE WITH SEAS TO 12 FT WITHIN 90 NM NE QUADRANT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL STEADILY INCREASE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS RICHARD GRADUALLY INTENSIFIES. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN. WINDS WILL REMAIN GENERALLY 10-15 KT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED IN ASSOCIATION WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED NEAR 14N 41.5W OR ABOUT 1045 NM EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. A TROUGH EXTENDS FROM 17N40W TO LOW CENTER TO 11N42W. THE LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE IN ABOUT 36-48 HOURS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF STRONG UPPER-LEVEL WINDS. HOWEVER...THE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WWD PRODUCING SOME INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC BY SAT. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS OF 20 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO 8 FT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING S OF 19N BETWEEN 78W AND 84W...AMZ082. ...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED SAT THROUGH MON S OF 20N W OF 84W...AMZ082. ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 14N W OF 78W...AMZ084. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR