000
AXNT20 KNHC 300525
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION 
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
205 AM EDT FRI MAR 30 2012

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...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL 
ANALYSIS.

BASED ON 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
0515 UTC.

...ITCZ/MONSOON TROUGH...

THE MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDS ACROSS W AFRICA TO THE COAST OF 
SIERRA LEONE AT 7N12W TO 3N15W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 3N15W TO 
1N20W TO EQ30W TO THE COAST OF BRAZIL AT 1S46W. ISOLATED  
MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 3N-3S BETWEEN 20W-30W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING IS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WITH 
AXIS ALONG 30N. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS OVER S TEXAS 
AND THE NW GULF OF MEXICO FROM 25N-29N BETWEEN 95W-101W. 
SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE NOTED OVER THE SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 95W. 
THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF HAS FAIR WEATHER. 10-15 KT SE WINDS 
PREVAILS OVER THE ENTIRE GULF. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER 
LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE GULF WITH AXIS ALONG 90W. UPPER LEVEL 
MOISTURE AND SCATTERED TO BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS ARE OVER THE ENTIRE 
GULF AND SURROUNDING LANDMASS ESPECIALLY W OF 90W. EXPECT 
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING TO PREVAIL OVER THE GULF FOR THE 
NEXT 24 HOURS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE N GULF. 

CARIBBEAN SEA...
A SURFACE TROUGH IS OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA FROM 21N89W TO 
16N92W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 45 NM W OF THE TROUGH. A 
1007 MB LOW IS CENTERED OVER N COLOMBIA NEAR 9N74W. WIDELY 
SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS S OF THE LOW FROM 4N-9N BETWEEN 
72W-77W. RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM A DISSIPATED COLD FRONT 
CONTINUES TO PRODUCE RAIN AND SHOWERS OVER E CUBA...HISPANIOLA 
...THE MONA PASSAGE...PUERTO RICO...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...AND THE 
LEEWARD ISLANDS. ELSEWHERE...RAIN AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OVER 
HONDURAS...AND THE COASTS OF COSTA RICA AND W PANAMA. A RATHER 
LAX SURFACE GRADIENT IS PRODUCING 10-20 KT TRADEWINDS OVER THE 
CARIBBEAN WITH STRONGEST WINDS ALONG THE COAST OF N COLOMBIA. IN 
THE UPPER LEVELS...SW FLOW PREVAILS. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE AND 
HIGH CLOUDS ARE NOTED OVER SOUTH AMERICA...AND THE WINDWARD 
ISLANDS. STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE 
CARIBBEAN SEA. EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR CONTINUED 
SHOWERS FROM HISPANIOLA TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...AS WELL AS 
INLAND OVER NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA.

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A 1021 MB HIGH IS OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 28N50W. A 
SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS W FROM THE HIGH TO N FLORIDA 
PRODUCING FAIR WEATHER. A COLD FRONT IS OVER THE CENTRAL 
ATLANTIC FROM 30N36W TO 20N47W AND DISSIPATING TO THE LEEWARD 
ISLANDS NEAR 17N60W. SCATTERED RAIN AND SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 90 
NM E OF THE FRONT. A 1024 MB HIGH IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC NEAR 
31N25W PRODUCING FAIR WEATHER. A PLUME OF AFRICAN DUST IS OVER 
THE E ATLANTIC N OF 15N E OF 30W AS NOTED FROM THE GOES-R PG 
DUST IMAGERY. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS N 
OF 25N BETWEEN 40W-65W SUPPORTING THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC FRONT. 
EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR THE ATLANTIC FRONT TO CONTINUE 
TO MOVE E WITH RAIN AND SHOWERS. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT 
HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE

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FORMOSA