000 AGXX40 KNHC 261804 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM 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... BENIGN CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER MUCH THE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND SEAS 3 FT OR LESS. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE OVER THE NE GULF WHERE THERE WILL BE A LOCALLY TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT THROUGH EARLY SUN DUE TO THE PROXIMITY TO HURRICANE IRENE. THIS WILL RESULT WIN MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS AND 3 TO 5 FT SEAS. AS IRENE CONTINUES TO MOVE FURTHER FROM THE AREA...WINDS AND SEAS WILL DECREASE BY SUN EVENING. SW ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HURCN IRENE...CURRENTLY A CATEGORY TWO STORM...CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWARD WITH THE CENTER JUST N OF THE AREA. IRENE IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FURTHER N FROM THE AREA. THIS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE WINDS ACROSS THE AREA...WITH WINDS EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE BY SATURDAY MORNING. AFTERWORDS...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH...FINALLY DROPPING BELOW 20 KT ACROSS THE AREA BY MON MORNING. SEAS WILL ALSO GRADUALLY SUBSIDE...FINALLY REACHING BELOW 8 FT ACROSS THE AREA ON MON. REFER TO WTNT24 KNHC/MIATCMAT4 FOR LATEST INFORMATION ON IRENE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W...THE CLIMATOLOGICAL SURFACE RIDGE TYPICALLY N OF THE AREA REMAINS WELL TO THE N AND E AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE IRENE. WITH THIS SYNOPTIC SETUP...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE CARIBBEAN REMAINS WEAK. AS A RESULT...MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...AS DEPICTED BY THE LATEST ASCAT PASS. AS HURRICANE IRENE CONTINUES MOVING FURTHER N...THE RIDGE WILL FINALLY START TO BUILD BACK IN OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL BRING A RETURN TO FRESH TO STRONG TRADES OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .AMZ080...HURCN WRNG N OF 27N BETWEEN 72W AND 81W... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL