000 AGXX40 KNHC 241751 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT FRI AUG 23 2012 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... HIGH PRES RIDGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WITH MOSTLY LIGHT WINDS EXCEPT FOR ELY WINDS AT 20 KT ACROSS THE SE GULF AS THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND TROPICAL STORM ISAAC HAS TIGHTENED. TROPICAL STORM ISAAC IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL CUBA SUN AND INTO THE SE GULF MON THEN INTENSIFY INTO A HURRICANE IN THE NE GULF TUE. ISAAC IS FORECAST TO MOVE INLAND INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AS A HURRICANE WED. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... LARGE SEAS OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM ISAAC MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA W OF HAITI AS ISAAC APPROACHES THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AND INTO CUBA. THE HIGHEST ASSOCIATED SEAS WITH ISAAC WILL BE IN THE ATLC WATERS S OF 24N HOWEVER SEAS TO 10 FT MAY EXTEND AS FAR N AS 27N. SEAS MAY REACH TO 18 FT AS ISAAC MOVES WNW. THE STRONG WINDS AND SEAS WILL SHIFT W AS ISAAC MOVES W ACROSS CUBA AND EVENTUALLY THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THROUGH LATE SUN AND INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH STRONG SLY WINDS W OF 75W MON WILL DECREASE TUE AND WED. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WAS CENTERED NEAR 16.3N 70.8W AT 11 AM EDT WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 50 KT GUSTS TO 60 KT. THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE WAS 1000 MB AND ISAAC IS MOVING TO THE WNW AT 12 KT. THE OUTER CIRCULATION OF ISAAC STRETCHES FROM 65W TO 74W WITH ASSOCIATED RAINBANDS MOVING ACROSS PUERTO RICO...AND INTO ACROSS THE EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. ISAAC IS FORECAST TO MOVE NEAR 17.4N 72.6W LATE TODAY JUST S OF HAITI...THEN MOVE OVER HAITI TONIGHT AND OVER CUBA SUN. THE HIGHEST SEAS WILL REMAIN ON THE N-NE SIDE OF THE STORM OUTSIDE OF THE IMMEDIATE CARIBBEAN. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...AMZ013-015-021-023. NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...AMZ117-123. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS