000 AGXX40 KNHC 260713 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 310 AM EDT FRI AUG 26 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... BUOY OBSERVATIONS FROM THROUGHOUT THE GULF ARE SHOWING RELATIVELY LIGHT NE-E WINDS...EXCEPT IN THE FAR EASTERN PORTION WHERE WINDS ARE NW-N 10-15 KT N OF 26N...AND W-NW 10-15 KT S OF 26N DUE TO THE BROAD CIRCULATION AROUND HURRICANE IRENE MOVING NWD TO THE E OF CENTRAL FLORIDA. SEAS ARE IN THE RANGE OF 1-2 FT...EXCEPT 3-5 FT IN THE EASTERN GULF S OF 27N. WINDS WILL SLOWLY BACK ACROSS THE GULF BECOME MORE WESTERLY OVER THE NEXT 36-48 HOURS AS IRENE MOVES N AND NE TOWARD THE CAROLINA COAST...AND AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE FAR NORTHERN GULF...THEN BECOMES STATIONARY AND WEAKENS TO A TROUGH NEAR THE COAST THROUGH SUN BEFORE DISSIPATING. A WEAK TROUGH IS FORECAST TO THEN DEVELOP IN THE SW GULF LATE MON INTO TUE. SW ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HURCN IRENE...CURRENTLY A MAJOR CATEGORY THREE...IS CONTINUING TO PULL N AND AWAY FROM THE BAHAMA ISLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING. IT WAS LOCATED NEAR 28.7N 77.3W...OR ABOUT 460 NM SSW OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA. BASED ON THE LATEST NHC ADVISORY ISSUED AT 0300 UTC THIS MORNING IRENE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN SOME AS IT TRACKS TO NEAR 30.0N 77.8W BY 12 UTC THIS MORNING...THEN TO JUST N OF AREA NEAR 31.8N 77.6W BY EARLY TONIGHT...AND TO NEAR 33.7N 77.1W BY 12 UTC SAT MORNING. ITS ASSOCIATED WIND FIELD WILL BE RATHER LARGE AFFECTING MUCH OF THE NW AND N WATERS THROUGH SAT NIGHT. SEAS GREATER THAN 8 FT WILL BE WITHIN THE LARGE AREA OF WINDS WITH IRENE...WITH THESE SEAS LINGERING OVER MUCH OF THE N CENTRAL AND NE PORTIONS OF THE ZONE INTO MON AS SWELLS. WINDS WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL WATERS THROUGH SUN...WITH WINDS GENERALLY E-SE 15 KT AND SEAS 4-6 FT ELSEWHERE THROUGH THE PERIOD. REFER TO WTNT24 KNHC/MIATCMAT4 FOR LATEST INFORMATION ON IRENE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... PARTIAL ASCAT DATA ALONG WITH BUOY OBSERVATIONS SHOW MOSTLY LIGHT TO MODERATE E-SE WINDS THROUGHOUT...EXCEPT IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC ZONE WHERE WINDS ARE NE-E AND SE-S WINDS IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. BRIEF PERIOD OF E WINDS OF 15-20 KT MAY BE SEEN IN THE AREA BETWEEN 70W-76W THROUGH SUN...BUT EXPAND LATE SUN THROUGH TUE AS CENTRAL ATLC HIGH PRES BUILDS WESTWARD SOME IN THE WAKE OF IRENE. WINDS MAY INCREASE SOME OVER THE NORTHERN TROPICAL ATLC MON AND TUE AS WELL WITH THE ATLC RIDGE BUILDING WESTWARD. EXPECT SEAS TO BUILD TO 8 FT OVER THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE CARIBBEAN BETWEEN 70W-76W MON AND TUE AS WINDS INCREASE TO 15-20 KT. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .AMZ080...HURCN WRNG N OF 26N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE