000 AXNT20 KNHC 032357 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 805 PM EDT SAT APR 03 2010 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA...AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...AND RADAR. BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2315 UTC... ...THE ITCZ... ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 8N10W 4N20W 2N35W INTO NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL NEAR 3S43W. ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 2N-7N BETWEEN 10W-20W...1N-5N BETWEEN 25W-35W...AND FROM 1S-3S BETWEEN 21W-38W. ...DISCUSSION... THE GULF OF MEXICO... A 1024 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE W ATLANTIC NEAR 40N68W. A RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS SW TO 30N77W TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE NEAR 20N95W. 10-15 KT MOSTLY SW FLOW COVERS THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH FAIR WEATHER. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...ZONAL FLOW COVERS THE GULF. A BAND OF UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE AND BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS EXTENDS FROM THE BAY OF CAMPECHE TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TO S FLORIDA. THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF HAS STRONG SUBSIDENCE. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR A 1023 MB HIGH TO FORM OVER THE NE GULF WITH CONTINUED FAIR WEATHER. THE CARIBBEAN SEA... A RELATIVELY LAX SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS PRODUCING MODERATE TO FRESH TRADEWINDS OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION HAS FORMED INLAND OVER W HONDURAS FROM 13N-15N BETWEEN 87W-89W. SIMILAR CONVECTION IS NOTED OVER INLAND S BELIZE AND INLAND S COSTA RICA. SOME BROKEN LOW CLOUDS ARE OVER THE UPPER ELEVATIONS OF JAMAICA. MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER IS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...ZONAL FLOW COVERS THE AREA. A BAND OF UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE AND BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS EXTENDS FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL TO W CUBA. SIMILAR HIGH CLOUD IS OVER COSTA RICA AND PANAMA. THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN HAS STRONG SUBSIDENCE. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR CONVECTION TO FORM OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN S OF JAMAICA. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... SURFACE RIDGING IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC W OF 70W. A 1004 MB LOW IS CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 32N54W. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS S FROM 32N48W TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ALONG 25N49W 20N53W 16N60W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE FROM 20N-25N BETWEEN 45W-53W. A 1029 MB HIGH IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC NEAR 40N23W. A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS S TO 27N24W 18N45W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC W OF 70W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS N OF 20N BETWEEN 50W-70W. A LARGE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC E OF 50W WITH AXIS ALONG 35W. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR THE COLD FRONT TO ONLY DRIFT E AND BE ALONG 32N51W 17N57W WITH SHOWERS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORMOSA