000 AGXX40 KNHC 232103 AAA MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION...UPDATED NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 515 PM EDT FRI SEP 23 2011 UPDATED WARNINGS AND THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W SECTIONS FOR TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA. 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... A WEAK PRES PATTERN WILL PREVAIL OVER THE GULF THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH WINDS GENERALLY LESS THAN 15 KT AND SEAS LESS THAN 3 FT. A WEAK COLD FRONT OVER THE NW GULF WILL CONTINUE MOVING E ACROSS THE GULF...REACHING FROM THE BIG BEND AREA TO THE NW YUCATAN PENINSULA LATE TONIGHT WHERE IT WILL TALL AND DISSIPATE THROUGH SUN. THIS FRONT WILL RESULT IN A WIND SHIFT...BUT WILL ONLY BRING A SLIGHT INCREASE TO THE WINDS AND SEAS BEHIND IT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM OPHELIA IS NEAR 15.6N 53.8W AT 23/2100 UTC MOVING W AT 14 KT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WIND 45 GUSTS TO 55 KT. OPHELIA...AS A TROPICAL STORM...IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC STARTING LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MON WITH HIGHEST WINDS OF 50 KT GUSTS TO 60 KT. IT IS FORECAST TO REACH 16.5N 55.6W LATE TONIGHT...17.7N 57.8W SAT AFTERNOON...20.0N 61.6W SUN AFTERNOON...22.0N 64.7W MON AFTERNOON AND MOVE W OF THE AREA BY LATE MON. AS A RESULT...WARNINGS HAVE BEEN POSTED. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...OPHELIA WILL PASS NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WITH ONLY MINOR EFFECTS ON THE CARIBBEAN WATERS...MOSTLY THE NE CORNER. LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...WITH GRADUAL WEAKENING EXPECTED TO BEGIN BY SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DIMINISH TO 40 KT GUSTS TO 50 KT. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 15N E OF 60W...AMZ087. SW N ATLC... TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED E OF 69W TUE AND WED...AMZ080. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL/GR