000 AGXX40 KNHC 230749 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 315 AM EDT SAT OCT 23 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 CONTINUES OVER THE NW PORTION OF THE GULF N OF 25N AND W OF 94W BETWEEN HIGH PRES RIDGE OVER SE U.S. AND LOW PRES OVER TEXAS. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS DOMINATE THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS EXCEPT THE FAR SE PORTION... INCLUDING THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA WHERE NE WINDS OF 20 KT ARE BLOWING. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO FURTHER INCREASE IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND SOUTH-CENTRAL GULF THROUGH SUN NIGHT AS TROPICAL STORM RICHARD INTENSIFIES IN THE NW CARIBBEAN. WINDS WILL APPROACH 25 KT WITH BUILDING SEAS TO 8 FT. RICHARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST AT 6 KT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...RICHARD SHOULD APPROACH NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS TODAY...AND COULD APPROACH THE COASTS OF BELIZE AND SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO AS A TROPICAL STORM LATE ON SUNDAY THEN WEAKEN OVER LAND MON BEFORE MOVING NW INTO THE SW PORTION OF THE GULF AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATE TUE. SW N ATLC... HIGH PRES OVER THE SE U.S. WILL MOVE SE INTO THE WESTERN ATLC BY SUN. ELY TRADES INCREASE TODAY AND SUN AS THE HIGH PRES RIDGE BUILDS 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 THROUGH SUN NIGHT. IN ADDITION...INCREASING ENE TRADES TO AROUND 20 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO 8 FT ARE ALSO EXPECTED MAINLY S OF 27N. MARINE GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT SEAS WILL BUILD TO 10 OR 11 FT IN NE SWELL E OF THE BAHAMAS LATE MON...THEN SUBSIDE TO 8 FT LATE TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... TROPICAL STORM RICHARD MOVING SLOWLY IN THE NW CARIBBEAN NEAR 15.8N 82.8W AT 0600 UTC WITH WINDS 40 KT GUSTS TO 50 KT. IT IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY INTENSIFY BUT WILL REMAIN AS A TROPICAL STORM BEFORE MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE COAST OF BELIZE LATE ON SUN. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS AND 12 FT SEAS ARE WITHIN 60 NM N SEMICIRCLE. THE RADIUS OF WINDS AND SEAS IS ALSO EXPECTED TO EXPAND AS THE STORM INTENSIFIES. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA TODAY...WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE IN THAT AREA ON SATURDAY NIGHT. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE COASTS OF BELIZE AND SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO BY LATE SUNDAY. TRADES IN THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE ARE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN THROUGH MON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF AREA. A SMALL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED NEAR 11N46W IS PRODUCING DISORGANIZED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS DISTURBANCE WHICH IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE IN ABOUT 12-24 HOURS. THE TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WWD PRODUCING SOME INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC TODAY. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS OF 20 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO 8-9 FT TODAY AND SUN. AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS SHOWED NE OF 20 KT SPREADING FROM THE LOW PRES TO THE N TO ABOUT 20N. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING FROM 15N TO 19N W OF 82W...AMZ082. ...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED SUN THROUGH MON S OF 20N W OF 85W...AMZ082. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR