000 FZNT24 KNHC 170917 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 430 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 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. GMZ089-171530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 430 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2008 .SYNOPSIS...TROPICAL STORM FAY S OF CUBA NEAR 19.7N 77.3W 1003 MB AT 4 AM CDT MOVING WNW AT 11 KT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 45 KT GUSTS 55 KT S OF THE AREA. FAY WILL MOVE NW NEAR THE S COAST OF CUBA TODAY AND TONIGHT AND STRENGTHEN WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS BEGINNING TO SPREAD ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA LATE TONIGHT. FAY WILL CROSS CUBA AND BE NEAR 23.7N 81.6W MON AFTERNOON...25.4N 82.1 MON NIGHT...THEN POSSIBLY STRENGTHEN TO A HURRICANE BEFORE LANDFALL OVER WESTERN FLORIDA ON TUE. FAY WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES N ACROSS N FLORIDA INTO SOUTHERN GEORGIA LATE TUE AND WED. ELSEWHERE...HIGH PRES OVER THE NE GULF WILL SHIFT TO THE NW GULF MON THROUGH THU. $$ GMZ080-171530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 430 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2008 .TODAY...S OF 28N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. N OF 28N VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT THROUGHOUT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 27N. .TONIGHT THROUGH WED...S OF 27N W OF 93W SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. ELSEWHERE VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS NEAR THE COAST. .THU...S WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS. $$ GMZ082-171530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 430 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2008 .TODAY THROUGH THU...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT NE TO E 15 TO 20 KT NEAR THE YUCATAN COAST AT NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT EXCEPT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT NEAR THE YUCATAN COAST AT NIGHT. $$ GMZ084-171530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 430 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2008 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S OF 24N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING N 15 TO 20 KT E OF 87W TONIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. FROM 24N TO 27N VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. N OF 27N SW TO W WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 27N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...S OF 27N E OF 87W NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. ELSEWHERE N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS N OF 27N. .TUE...N OF 25N E OF 87W NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. N OF 25N W OF 87W NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS NE PART. .WED...N OF 25N W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. .THU...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-171530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 430 AM CDT SUN AUG 17 2008 ...TROPICAL STORM WARNING... ...HURRICANE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 25N TUE... .TODAY...S OF 25N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT OVER THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. N OF 25N NW TO N WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS DEVELOPING IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. .TONIGHT...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS DEVELOPING OVER THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA LATE TONIGHT. HIGHEST WINDS 55 KT GUSTS 65 KT S OF AREA. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. ELSEWHERE S OF 25N N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT. N OF 25N N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SQUALLS S OF 25N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 100 NM OF CENTER OF FAY. HIGHEST WINDS 50 KT GUSTS 60 KT INCREASING TO 60 KT GUSTS 75 KT. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER IN AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. HIGHEST SEAS 20 FT BUILDING TO 24 FT. ELSEWHERE N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 33 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. NUMEROUS SQUALLS. .TUE...HURRICANE AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 120 NM OF CENTER OF FAY. HIGHEST WINDS 60 KT GUSTS 75 KT INCREASING TO 65 KT GUSTS 80 KT BEFORE LANDFALL. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER IN AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. HIGHEST SEAS 26 FT. ELSEWHERE SW TO W WINDS 20 TO 33 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. NUMEROUS SQUALLS N OF 24N. .WED...N OF 28N NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 28N W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N PART. .THU...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. S OF 25N E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT THROUGHOUT. $$ FORECASTER BERG