000 FZNT24 KNHC 161521 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 16 2008 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT. GMZ089-162130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 16 2008 .SYNOPSIS...TROPICAL STORM FAY ENTERING THE WINDWARD PASSAGE NEAR 19.0N 73.7W AT 11 AM EDT IS MOVING W 13 KT. FAY WILL MOVE W TO WNW AND POSSIBLY STRENGTHEN TO A HURRICANE ALONG THE S COAST OF CUBA NEAR 21.1N 79.3W SUN NIGHT. FAY WILL MOVE NW ACROSS CUBA AND BE NEAR 26.0N 82.0W TUE MORNING AND THEN MOVE N ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF TUE AND INLAND OVER THE SE UNITED STATES WED. ELSEWHERE HIGH PRES OVER THE SE GULF WILL SHIFT TO THE CENTRAL GULF LATE SUN AND MON...THEN TO THE NW GULF MON THROUGH WED. A WEAK FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE N GULF COAST SUN AND DISSIPATE MON. $$ GMZ080-162130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 16 2008 .THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUN NIGHT...N OF 28N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING SW TO W SUN. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 28N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 KT OR LESS LATE SUN. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS N OF 28N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...W OF 94W E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. E OF 94W VARIABLE MOSTLY W TO NW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS N OF 28N. .TUE AND WED...S OF 28N W OF 93W E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT TUE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. ELSEWHERE W TO NW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING VARIABLE WED. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS. $$ GMZ082-162130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 16 2008 .THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUN NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE TONIGHT EXCEPT NE TO E 15 TO 20 KT NEAR YUCATAN. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON THROUGH WED...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT NE TO E NEAR YUCATAN. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ084-162130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 16 2008 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...S OF 24N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. FROM 24N TO 27N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. N OF 27N SW TO W WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 28N. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...S OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE LATE EXCEPT SW TO W N OF 28N. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS N OF 28N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...S OF 25N N TO NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS EXCEPT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT E OF 87W. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT EXCEPT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT E OF 87W. N OF 25N W TO NW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING NW TO N LATE. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS EXCEPT 2 TO 4 FT S OF 28N E OF 87W. .TUE...S OF 23N W OF 87W E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT ELSEWHERE S OF 25N W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. N OF 25N NW TO N WINDS 10 KT OR LESS EXCEPT 10 TO 15 KT E OF 87W. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT E OF 87W. SCATTERED SQUALLS E PART. .WED...S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. N OF 25N W TO NW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING SW TO W. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS. SCATTERED SQUALLS FAR NE. $$ GMZ086-162130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 1030 AM CDT SAT AUG 16 2008 ...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED MON THROUGH WED.... .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...S OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. N OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 28N. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...S OF 26N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT THEN 20 TO 25 KT STRAITS OF FLORIDA SUN NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT EXCEPT BUILDING TO 6 TO 10 FT STRAITS OF FLORIDA SUN NIGHT. N OF 25N W WINDS 10 KT OR LESS EXCEPT VARIABLE S OF 27N EARLY BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT S OF 27N LATE. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 2 TO 3 FT S OF 27N LATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND N OF 28N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 100 NM OF CENTER OF FAY. HIGHEST WINDS 65 KT GUSTS 80 KT INCREASING TO 70 KT GUSTS 85 KT. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER WITHIN AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. HIGHEST SEAS 21 FT. ELSEWHERE S OF 25N WINDS 20 TO 33 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT N OF 24N AND W OF 87W AND 8 TO 12 FT ELSEWHERE BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT AREA WIDE. N OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS EXCEPT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT S OF 27N BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT 20 TO 25 KT S OF 27N. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS N OF 27N AND 3 TO 5 F S OF 27N BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT N OF 27N AND 5 TO 8 FT S OF 27N LATE. NUMEROUS SQUALLS S HALF SPREADING N. .TUE...HURRICANE CONDITIONS N OF 25N. ELSEWHERE S OF 25N SW TO W WINDS 20 TO 33 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .WED...HURRICANE CONDITIONS N OF 28N. FROM 25N TO 28N SW TO W WINDS 20 TO 33 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. S OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE TO E STRAITS OF FLORIDA LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. NUMEROUS SQUALLS N HALF. $$ FORECASTER KIMBERLAIN