000 AGXX40 KNHC 251834 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 235 PM EDT SAT AUG 25 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... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS JUST N OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WAS LOCATED OVER FAR E CUBA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...MOVING TOWARD THE NW. LATEST SCATTEROMETER PASS ALONG WITH SHIP...BUOY...AND CMAN OBSERVATIONS DEPICT MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE GULF...WITH STRONG BREEZE OVER THE FAR SE GULF WATERS DUE TO A LOCALLY TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND TROPICAL STORM ISAAC. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 3 TO 5 FT ACROSS THE GULF WATERS. ISAAC IS FORECAST TO MOVE ON A WNW TRACK BRINGING THE SYSTEM THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THROUGH SUN AND INTO THE FAR SE GULF OF MEXICO SUN NIGHT AS IT REACHES HURRICANE INTENSITY. THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL RETREAT WESTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK AS ISAAC TRACKS NORTHWARD AS A HURRICANE IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. ISAAC IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO MOVE INLAND NEAR THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TUE NIGHT. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WAS LOCATED OVER FAR EASTERN CUBA WITH SURFACE RIDGE PREVAILING N OF THE SW N ATLC WATERS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. LATEST SCATTEROMETER DATA AND SHIP AND BUOY DATA DEPICT A LARGE WIND FIELD AROUND ISAAC WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS S OF THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS AND FRESH TO STRONG WINDS EXTENDING ACROSS MUCH OF THE SW PART OF THE AREA. OTHERWISE WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE BREEZE. MAXIMUM SEAS ASSOCIATED WITH ISAAC ARE CURRENTLY NEAR 21 FT WITH SEAS 8 FT OR GREATER COVERING THE SW PART OF THE AREA. OTHERWISE...SEAS OF 5 TO 7 FT PREVAIL ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WILL MOVE ON A WNW TRACK ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND INTO THE FAR SE GULF OF MEXICO SUN NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM REACHES HURRICANE INTENSITY. AS ISAAC MOVES NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...FRESH TO STRONG WINDS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE FAR W PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. AS ISAAC MOVES INLAND OVER THE SE UNITED STATES...A SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD BACK ACROSS THE SW N ATLC WATERS ALONG 27-28N BY WED. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WAS LOCATED OVER FAR EASTERN CUBA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A SURFACE TROUGH WAS LOCATED OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN WATERS. LATEST SCATTEROMETER DATA ALONG WITH RECENT SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS DEPICT THE LARGE CIRCULATION AROUND ISAAC...WITH CYCLONIC FLOW AROUND THE SYSTEM PREVAILING OVER THE GULF WATERS W OF 70W...AN AREA TYPICALLY DOMINATED BY EASTERLY TRADEWIND FLOW. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. E OF 70W...MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY TRADEWINDS PREVAILS OVER THE CARIBBEAN WATERS...AND LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. TROPICAL STORM ISAAC WILL MOVE ON A WNW TRACK ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND REACHING THE FAR SE GULF OF MEXICO SUN NIGHT AS THE SYSTEM REACHES HURRICANE INTENSITY. AS ISAAC CONTINUE TO MOVE FURTHER FROM THE AREA...TRADEWINDS WILL BUILD FROM EAST TO WEST BACK ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS. TRADEWINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WATERS WILL ALSO INCREASE TOWARD THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD AS THE SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS BACK ACROSS THE SW N ATLC WATERS BY MIDWEEK. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...GMZ015 AND GMZ021. CARIBBEAN SEA... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...AMZ015 AND AMZ013 N OF 20N E OF 78W. SW N ATLANTIC... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...AMZ117 AND AMZ123. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL