000 AGXX40 KNHC 241848 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT WED OCT 24 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 CENTERED OVER THE CAROLINAS EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS PRODUCING GENTLE TO MODERATE BREEZE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA. PRES GRADIENT HAS TIGHTENED ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF BETWEEN THE AFOREMENTIONED HIGH PRES AND HURRICANE SANDY IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OF 20 KT AND SEAS TO 8 FT ACROSS ZONE GMZ021 AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. AS SANDY MOVES N ACROSS EASTERN CUBA THIS EVENING...THE WINDS ACROSS THE SE GULF AND THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT...WITH SEAS BUILDING 8 TO 10 FT...LIKELY HIGHER...ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THROUGH FRI. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NW FRI AND SAT AS SANDY MOVES TO THE NE. WINDS AND SEAS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE BY SUN. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... CURRENTLY...PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN A LARGE HIGH PRES AREA OVER THE CAROLINAS AND HURRICANE SANDY IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA IS PRODUCING ELY WINDS OF 20-25 KT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. SCATTEROMETER PASSES ALONG WITH BUOY OBSERVATIONS CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF THESE WIND SPEEDS. SANDY IS FORECAST TO MOVE BETWEEN NORTHERN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS EARLY ON THU...REACHING THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AS A TROPICAL STORM THU EVENING. THE TROPICAL STORM WIND FIELD AND THE 12 FT OR GREATER SEAS ASSOCIATED WITH SANDY WILL EXPAND IN SIZE...COVERING THE AREA W OF 70W BY THU MORNING AND W OF 65W BY FRI MORNING. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY...WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA BY FRIDAY. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... AT 24/1500 UTC...SANDY IS UPGRADED TO HURRICANE STATUS. AT THIS TIME...IT IS CENTERED NEAR 17.1N 76.7W MOVING NNE AT 11 KT. SANDY WITH WINDS OF 70 KT AND GUSTS TO 85 KT AND MINIMUM CENTRAL PRES OF 973 MB IS NOW APPROACHING THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST OF JAMAICA. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF SANDY IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER EASTERN JAMAICA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING... MOVE OVER EASTERN CUBA TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...AND MOVE NEAR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. AN ALTIMETER PASS SHOWED THE 12 FT SEAS OR GREATER GENERATED BY SANDY EXTENDING WITHIN 240 NM TO THE SE QUADRANT. BUOY 42058 LOCATED NEAR 15N75W IS REPORTING SEAS OF 14-16 FT. BY THU MORNING...EXPECT THE HIGHEST SEAS ACROSS THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN PORTIONS OF JAMAICA THROUGH THIS EVENING...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REACH EASTERN CUBA BY TONIGHT. AS SANDY MOVES AWAY FROM THE CARIBBEAN SEA INTO THE BAHAMAS...WINDS AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .HURRICANE WARNING ZONES AMZ013...AMZ021. .TROPICAL STORM WARNING ZONES AMZ015. SW N ATLANTIC... .HURRICANE WARNING ZONES AMZ117...AMZ123. .TROPICAL STORM WARNING ZONE AMZ119 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR