000 AGXX40 KNHC 250605 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EDT THU OCT 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... HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE CAROLINAS WITH A RIDGE SW ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF. PRES GRADIENT HAS TIGHTENED ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES AND HURRICANE SANDY IN THE CARIBBEAN WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OF 20 KT AND SEAS TO 8 FT ACROSS THE SE GULF. AS SANDY MOVES THE WINDS ACROSS THE SE GULF AND THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT WITH SEAS BUILDING 8 TO 10 FT. 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 N OF THE AREA OVER THE CAROLINAS AND HURRICANE SANDY IN THE CARIBBEAN IS PRODUCING ELY WINDS OF 20-25 KT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. SANDY IS FORECAST TO MOVE BETWEEN NORTHERN CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS TODAY REACHING THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TONIGHT. 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 LATER TODAY AND W OF 65W BY FRI MORNING. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS ON EARLY TODAY WITH HURRICANE CONDITIONS LATER TODAY. SANDY WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL STORM NEAR 30.5N 74.5W SAT NIGHT AND MOVES N OF THE AREA SUN. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... HURRICANE SANDY IS CENTERED NEAR 20.1N 75.9W MOVING NNE AT 11 KT. SANDY WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 95 KT AND MINIMUM CENTRAL PRES OF 957 MB IS NOW APPROACHING EASTERN CUBA. SANDY WILL MAKE LANDFALL ACROSS EASTERN CUBA LATER THIS MORNING AND MOVE NEAR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS LATE TODAY. WINDS SHIFT TO THE NW ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN AS SANDY MOVES NNE. STRONG SW WINDS AND LARGE SEAS CONTINUE IN THE N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH FRI THE SLOWLY SUBSIDE OVER THE WEEKEND. 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...ZONE AMZ013. .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...ZONES...AMZ015...AMZ021. SW N ATLANTIC... .HURRICANE WARNING...ZONES AMZ111...AMZ113...AMZ119...123. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS