923 AGXX40 KNHC 110650 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 250 AM EDT Sat Aug 11 2018 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 ridge dominates the Gulf region anchored by a 1017 mb high located near 27N88W. This system is producing a gentle to moderate anticyclonic flow across much of the Gulf, with the exception of light to gentle winds over the NE part. Seas are in the 2-4 ft range, except 1-2 ft over the NE Gulf. The high pressure is forecast to move toward S Louisiana while a trough is expected to persist over the NE Gulf through the next 72 hours. Moderate to fresh southerly return flow is expected across the west-central and NW waters Sun through Tue due to the pressure gradient between high pressure over the east-central Gulf and lower pressure over Mexico. Seas are expected to build to around 5 ft with these winds. A nocturnal trough moving off the Yucatan peninsula will induce a surge of fresh to strong NE to E winds in the Bay of Campeche each night. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... A recent scatterometer pass provide observations of fresh to strong winds across the south-central Caribbean. High pressure north of the area will continue to support fresh to strong winds over the south central Caribbean, with strong to near gale force winds at night, particularly in the Gulf of Venezuela and near the coast of Colombia. Frequent gusts to gale force are also expected to occur. By early Mon, the areal extent of the fresh to strong wind will increase, covering roughly the area between 70W and 82W...including also the waters just S of Hispaniola. Seas are forecast to build to 12 or 13 ft over the south-central Caribbean. This trend will be modulated by tropical waves moving across the basin. A tropical wave currently moving over the Lesser Antilles will reach Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands this evening, and move across the central Caribbean through Mon evening or Mon night. A second tropical wave will approach the Leeward and Windward Islands by late Mon. A disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms is located about midway between Africa and the Lesser Antilles. Some gradual development of this system is possible through early next week as it moves slowly westward. The latest Tropical Weather Outlook (TWO) gives this system a low change of tropical cyclone formation through 5 days. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... A ridge will remain in place across the forecast waters during the next several days, maintaining a gentle to moderate anticyclonic flow N of 22N while mainly moderate easterly winds will prevail S of 22. The ridge will shift northward to 28N through early next week. This will allow fresh to locally strong winds to blow off the northern coast of Hispaniola to include the approaches to the Windward Passage at times. These pulses of stronger winds will mainly occur during the evening and night hours through mid week. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... None. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ031...CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W INCLUDING COLOMBIA BASIN... Gale Warning tonight and Sun night. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... None. $$ *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 GR. National Hurricane Center.