000 AGXX40 KNHC 200715 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 315 AM EDT Wed Sep 20 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 evening over the NW Yucatan Peninsula, move W-NW across the SW Gulf during the overnight hours and dissipate by late each morning, accompanied by a moderate to locally fresh NE-E-SE wind shift and brief seas to 5 ft. Weak high pressure will meander over the north central and northeast waters through Thu night then shift north and inland Louisiana on Fri accompanied 1 to 3 ft seas. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... Marine interests should monitor the latest bulletins from NHC concerning major hurricane Maria currently over the NE Caribbean, impacting the waters near Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with seas in excess of 35 ft. Expect conditions across the NE passages to diminish to 20 kt or less and seas subside to less than 8 ft on Fri morning. Elsewhere, generally moderate trade winds across the Caribbean will persist through the next several days. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... Hurricane force winds are arriving over the Atlantic coastal waters of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as Major Hurricane Maria continues to move toward southeast Puerto Rico, making landfall later this morning. Maria is forecast to move across Puerto Rico today and reach north of the Mona Passage by late today, then pass close to the Turks & Caicos by late Thu, then continue northward in response to a weakness in the subtropical ridge left in part by the exiting tropical cyclone Jose, now well north of the area east of New Jersey. This track keeps the center of Maria E of the central and northern Bahamas before moving more NE by Sunday, staying west of Bermuda. 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. Southerly swell associated with Maria in excess of 8 ft will mix with lingering northerly swell associated with Jose over the waters north of 27N and east of 72W by tonight, with the southerly swell ahead of Maria becoming dominant through early next week as Maria continues north of the area. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... None. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ023...CARIBBEAN N OF 15N BETWEEN 64W AND 72W... Storm Warning early today. Gale Warning today into tonight. .AMZ025...OFFSHORE WATERS LEEWARD ISLANDS... Storm Warning early today. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... .AMZ119...ATLANTIC FROM 22N TO 27N E OF BAHAMAS TO 70W... Gale Warning Thu. Hurricane Force Wind Warning Thu night. .AMZ121...ATLANTIC FROM 22N TO 27N BETWEEN 65W AND 70W... Gale Warning Thu. Hurricane Force Wind Warning Thu night. .AMZ123...ATLANTIC S OF 22N W OF 70W INCLUDING APPROACHES TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE... Hurricane Force Wind Warning Thu into Thu night. .AMZ125...ATLANTIC S OF 22N BETWEEN 65W AND 70W INCLUDING PUERTO RICO TRENCH... Storm Warning today. Hurricane Force Wind Warning tonight into Thu night. .AMZ127...ATLANTIC FROM 19N TO 22N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W... Gale Warning today. $$ *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 Christensen. National Hurricane Center.