000 AGXX40 KNHC 181839 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 239 PM EDT Mon Sep 18 2017 Marine Weather Discussion for the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Tropical North Atlantic from 07N to 19N between 55W and 64W and the Southwest North Atlantic including the Bahamas. ...GULF OF MEXICO... A thermal trough will develop each night over the northwest Yucatan peninsula, then move across the far southwest Gulf before dissipating by mid morning, supporting locally fresh winds and seas briefly reaching 4 to 5 ft. Elsewhere across the Gulf, weak ridging over the lower Mississippi Valley will support gentle to moderate easterly flow across the Gulf through late Fri with seas generally 1 to 3 ft. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... Hurricane Maria is centered about 40 nm ENE of Martinique, and is still on track to directly affect the Leeward Islands, the NE Caribbean, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with seas in excess of 30 ft during the next two days. Maria is undergoing rapid intensification and could become yet another Atlantic category 4 hurricane during the next 12 hours. Interests in these areas should monitor the latest bulletins from the National Hurricane Center. Strong winds and swell will push into the Windward Passage late Wed and Thu as Maria moves to the north of Hispaniola. Elsewhere, generally moderate trade winds across the Caribbean will persist through the next several days. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... A weakening Hurricane Jose is currently passing northward off the coast of North Carolina. Strong winds on the southern periphery of Jose are still maintaining seas of 8 ft or more in the waters north of 27N and west of 65W. The strong winds to the south of Jose over the forecast waters will subside tonight and allow seas south of 30N to subside below 8 ft by late Tue. Unfortunately, the respite in winds and seas for these waters will be short lived. Attention turns to the next hurricane, Maria, forecast to bring hurricane conditions to the Atlc waters between the Leeward Islands and 22N tonight into early Tue. The forecast continues for hurricane conditions to arrive in the waters adjacent to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico starting late Tue, then continue WNW with hurricane conditions possible for the Turks/Caicos and southern Bahamas by late Thu. Afterward, the forecast calls for Maria to turn toward the north into a weakness in the subtropical ridge created by the slow departure of Jose. This forecast scenario takes Maria on a more northward track so it stays just east of the central and northern Bahamas. Given that track and intensity errors increase farther into the future, marine interests throughout the region should continue monitoring the latest bulletins issued by the National Hurricane Center on Hurricane Maria. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... None. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ023...CARIBBEAN N OF 15N BETWEEN 64W AND 72W... Hurricane Warning Tue into Tue night. .AMZ025...OFFSHORE WATERS LEEWARD ISLANDS... Hurricane Warning today into Tue night. .AMZ027...TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 15N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 60W... Tropical Storm Warning today into tonight. .AMZ035...OFFSHORE WATERS WINDWARD ISLANDS INCLUDING TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO... Hurricane Warning today into tonight. Tropical Storm Warning Tue. .AMZ037...TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 15N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W... Tropical Storm Warning today. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... None. $$ *For detailed zone descriptions, please visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/abouttafbprod.shtml#OWF Note: gridded marine forecasts are available in the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/marine/grids.php For additional information, please visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/marine $$ .Forecaster McElroy. National Hurricane Center.