000 AGXX40 KNHC 250652 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 250 AM EDT THU AUG 25 2011 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... CMAN OBSERVATIONS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS ARE SHOWING MODERATE TO FRESH NE FLOW THIS MORNING...AS HURRICANE IRENE MOVES THROUGH THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN BAHAMAS. LIGHT TO MODERATE NE TO E WINDS COVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS...WITH 1 TO 2 FT SEAS. WINDS WILL SLOWLY BACK ACROSS THE GULF BECOME MORE WESTERLY OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IRENE MOVES N AND NE TOWARD THE CAROLINA COAST...AND AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THEN STALLS AND DISSIPATES. A DEEP LAYER TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES SUN AND MON IN THE WAKE OF IRENE...WITH AN ASSOCIATED WEAK SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE FAR GULF MAINTAINING MODERATE W FLOW OVER THE NE GULF WITH GENERALLY LIGHT W FLOW ELSEWHERE. SW ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HURCN IRENE OVER CENTRAL BAHAMAS...CURRENTLY A MAJOR CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE...FORECAST TO INTENSIFY FURTHER AS IT MOVES N-NW ACROSS BAHAMAS THROUGH FRI. IRENE THEN TRACK MORE N AND BE N OF 31N BY FRI NIGHT...WITH AN EXPANDING WIND FIELD. IRENE IS A LARGE SYSTEM IMPACTING THE SW ATLC ZONE W OF 71W WITH AT LEAST STRONG WINDS AND SEAS GREATER THAN 8 FT ELSEWHERE OVER ATLC WATERS W OF 65W. REFER TO WTNT24 KNHC/MIATCMAT4 FOR LATEST INFORMATION ON IRENE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W...A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS SW FROM EASTERN CUBA TO THE NICARAGUA COAST...S OF HURRICANE IRENE N OF THE AREA IN THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. LIGHT TO MODERATE NW WINDS COVER THE NW CARIBBEAN NW OF THE TROUGH...AND LIGHT TO MODERATE S TO SW COVER THE AREA W OF 70W. WINDS GRADUALLY BECOME MORE E TO SE THROUGH SAT AS IRENE LIFTS FURTHER N. WINDS OVER NE CARIBBEAN START TO INCREASE SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF AREA OVER WESTERN ATLC IN THE WAKE OF IRENE NORTHWARD MOVE. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .AMZ080...HURCN WRNG N OF 20N E OF 71W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN