000 AGXX40 KNHC 260609 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EDT WED OCT 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... LATEST ASCAT PASS INDICATES FRESH NE TO E WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE SE GULF WATERS AS A RESULT OF A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN HURRICANE RINA IN THE NW CARIBBEAN AND HIGH PRES OVER THE SE U.S.. ELSEWHERE OVER THE GULF...LATEST OBSERVATIONS INDICATE LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND SEAS 3 FT OR LESS. A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE THU AND MOVE RAPIDLY MOVE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS THROUGH FRI AND E OF THE AREA SAT. NLY WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. THE CURRENT FORECAST HAS HURRICANE RINA MOVING INTO THE SE GULF THU NIGHT INTO FRI. RINA IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE JUST N OF W CUBA WHILE WEAKENING TO A TROPICAL STORM SAT NIGHT AND SUN. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N58W TO 24N70W. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE E OF THE AREA TODAY WITH A STATIONARY FRONT REMAINING OVER THE WATERS ALONG 25N THROUGH THU NIGHT...THEN WILL DISSIPATE BY FRI. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WITH A SURFACE RIDGE OVER THE N PART OF THE AREA THU AND FRI. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE SE U.S. COAST INTO THE ATLC EARLY SAT AND MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS THE AREA...MOVING E OF THE AREA BY LATE SUN. FRESH TO STRONG NLY WINDS AND SEAS TO 11 FT WILL PREVAIL BEHIND THE FRONT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... HURRICANE RINA WAS CENTERED NEAR 17.5N84.8W AT 0300 UTC WITH MAXIMUM WINDS 95 KT GUSTS TO 115 KT. RINA IS MOVING W AT 3 KT. ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRES IS 966 MB. RINA IS FORECAST TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY UNTIL IT APPROACHES THE YUCATAN PENINSULA THU NIGHT. RINA WILL THE MOVE NE FRI THEN WEAKEN TO A TROPICAL STORM SAT NIGHT AND SUN JUST N OF W CUBA. LOW PRES IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN HAS WEAKENED INTO A TROUGH. THE TROUGH WILL DISSIPATE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ084...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 25N E OF 89W THU NIGHT THROUGH SAT. .GMZ086...TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 25N THU THROUGH SUN... .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .AMZ082...HURRICANE WARNING N OF 16N W OF 83W. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL