000 AGXX40 KNHC 041849 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 AM EDT SEP 04 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... SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND RADAR SHOW T.S. LEE MOVING FURTHER INLAND OVER S CENTRAL LOUISIANA. BUOY OBSERVATIONS SHOW 20 TO 30 KT WINDS ON THE S SIDE OF THE STORM...OVER MUCH OF THE N CENTRAL AND NW GULF WITH WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE IN BANDS OF CONVECTION S OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA. WINDS IN EXCESS OF TROPICAL STORM/GALE FORCE ARE STILL POSSIBLE INTO MON OVER THE N CENTRAL AND NW GULF EVEN AS LEE WEAKENS. STRONG SW WINDS WILL SPREAD INTO THE NE GULF MON. WINDS OVER THE ENTIRE NORTHERN GULF WILL DIMINISH TUE AS THE LOW MOVES FURTHER N AND FILLS. THE NORTHERLY FLOW ON THE W SIDE OF LEE IS DELIVERING DRIER AND SOMEWHAT COOLER AIR THROUGH TEXAS TOWARD THE GULF. THIS WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF...BRINGING FRESH NORTHERLY FLOW INTO THE SW GULF WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGHER WINDS ALONG THE COAST OF VERACRUZ BY LATE TUE...ACCOMPANIED BY N SWELL UP TO 8 FT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... THE CENTER OF KATIA IS NOW N OF 22N...ALTHOUGH WINDS TO TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL STILL IMPACT THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC ZONE THROUGH TONIGHT. SWELL TO 11 FT IS REACHING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...BUT THIS WILL START TO SUBSIDE OVERNIGHT AS KATIA MOVES FURTHER N. IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN...FRESH SE WINDS WILL PERSIST FROM THE GULF OF HONDURAS TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AT LEAST EARLY IN THE WEEK...THEN DIMINISH AS T.S. LEE DISSIPATES OVER THE SOUTHERN U.S. ELSEWHERE FRESH WINDS WILL PERSIST OFF THE NORTHERN COAST OF VENEZUELA AND THE ABC ISLANDS...BUT OTHERWISE FLOW WILL REMAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE IN THE ABSENCE OF A STRONG GRADIENT S OF KATIA. A TROPICAL WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE WATERS NE OF THE LEEWARDS BY WED...BRINGING A NEW ROUND OF FRESH TO STRONG WINDS AND SEAS TO 9 FT. SW ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... THE MAIN STORY IS HURRICANE KATIA...MIGRATING FROM ITS CURRENT POSITION NEAR 23N60W TO 30N71.5W BY EARLY THU...BETWEEN THE BAHAMAS AND BERMUDA. WINDS IN EXCESS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL REACH THE SW N ATLC MARINE ZONE...AMZ080...BY EARLY TUE. SEE WTNT22 KNHC/TCMAT2 FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS SYSTEM. SEAS WERE MEASURED AT 32 FT THIS MORNING NEAR THE STORM CENTER BY A BUOY...AND WILL BUILD TO AT LEAST 45 FT AS THE STORM INTENSIFIES. SWELL IN EXCESS OF 8 FT WILL LIKELY STAY TO THE NE OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH THE WEEK. A TROPICAL WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE WATERS N OF PUERTO RICO BY THU. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ080...TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 25N E OF 93W. .GMZ084...TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 26N W OF 86W. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. TROPICAL N ATLC... .AMZ087...HURRICANE WARNING N OF 18N E OF 63W. SW N ATLC... .AMZ080...HURRICANE WARNING FROM 23N TO 29N E OF 67W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN