000 FZNT24 KNHC 190253 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1030 PM CDT MON AUG 18 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. GMZ089-190930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 1030 PM CDT MON AUG 18 2008 .SYNOPSIS...TROPICAL STORM FAY NEAR APPROACHING THE FL SW COAST NEAR 25.3N 81.9W 995 MB AT 10 PM CDT MOVING N AT 8 KT. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS 50 KT GUSTS 60 KT. FAY MAY BRIEFLY STRENGTHEN INTO A HURRICANE OVERNIGHT BEFORE MOVING INLAND THE SW FL COAST...AND MOVE TO JUST INLAND NEAR 26.6N 81.7W TUE MORNING. FAY IS THEN FORECAST TO TRACK NE ACROSS CENTRAL FL TO NEAR 28.1 81.3W TUE NIGHT AND WEAKEN TO A DEPRESSION AS IT MOVES TO THE FL NE COAST NEAR 29.2N 81.0W BY WED MORNING. FAY MAY REGAIN TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH AS IT MOVES NW INTO SE COAST OF GEORGIA WED NIGHT THROUGH THU NIGHT...AND WEAKEN TO A DEPRESSION INLAND OVER GEORGIA FRI AND SAT. WEAK RIDGE WILL EXTEND SW ALONG THE FAR WESTERN GULF. $$ GMZ080-190930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 1030 PM CDT MON AUG 18 2008 .TONIGHT...W OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. E OF 94W S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS W OF 94W. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS E OF 94W. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...W OF 95W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. E OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .WED...E OF 93W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. W OF 93W S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .WED NIGHT AND THU...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .FRI AND SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ082-190930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 1030 PM CDT MON AUG 18 2008 .TONIGHT THROUGH THU...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT..EXCEPT E TO SE 15 TO 20 KT S OF 22N E OF 93W. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ084-190930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 1030 PM CDT MON AUG 18 2008 .TONIGHT...N OF 25N W OF 87W VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N W OF 87W NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. E OF 87W N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS E OF 87W. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...N OF 25N E OF 87W NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .WED THROUGH THU...N OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. .FRI AND SAT...N OF 25N N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. $$ GMZ086-190930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 1030 PM CDT MON AUG 18 2008 ...HURRICANE WARNING FROM 24N TO 27N E OF 82.5W... .TONIGHT...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 120 NM NE QUADRANT ...90 NM SE QUADRANT AND 30 NM W SEMICIRCLE. HIGHEST WINDS 50 KT GUSTS 60 KT. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER IN AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. HIGHEST SEAS 20 FT. ELSEWHERE S OF 27N N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 33 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. N OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SQUALLS S OF 27N. .TUE...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WITHIN 120 NM NE QUADRANT... 90 NM SE QUADRANT AND 45 NM W SEMICIRCLE. HIGHEST WINDS INCREASING TO 65 KT GUSTS 80 KT IN THE MORNING...THEN DIMINISHING TO 55 KT GUSTS TO 65 KT. CONDITIONS SHIFTING E OF AREA IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER IN AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. HIGHEST SEAS 20 TO 24 FT. ELSEWHERE WINDS 20 TO 33 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SQUALLS IN AREA OF HURRICANE WARNING. .TUE NIGHT...FROM 26N TO 29N E OF 83W WINDS W TO NW 20 TO 30 KT EARLY...DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT... SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT LATE. ELSEWHERE N OF 28N N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. REMAINDER AREA SW TO W WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT W TO NW W OF 83W. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SQUALLS FROM 26N TO 29N NEAR THE FL COAST EARLY...MOVING E OF AREA. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ELSEWHERE. .WED AND WED NIGHT...N OF 26N W TO NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 26N SW TO W 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .THU...N OF 27N W TO NW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT IN W SWELL. S OF 27N SW TO W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .FRI AND SAT...NE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ FORECASTER DGS/AGUIRRE