Special Features

Caribbean Gale Warning: A tight pressure gradient between a 1026 mb high pressure oriented along 31N and low pressure centered across NW Colombia continues to support strong winds that pulse to gale force during the overnight hours offshore Barranquilla, Colombia. These conditions will prevail through Thursday night. Seas will peak at 11 to 13 ft near the highest winds.

Please read the latest High Seas and Offshore Waters Forecasts issued by the National Hurricane Center at websites: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFAT2.shtml and https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/marine/offshores.php for more details.

Monsoon Trough/ITCZ

A monsoon trough enters the Atlantic Ocean near the coastal border of Guinea and Sierra Leone, then runs southwestward to 03N23W. An ITCZ continues west-southwestward from 03N23W across 00N30W to 00N45W. Scattered moderate convection is seen south of the monsoon trough from 01N to 05N between 10W and 23W, and near the ITCZ from the Equator to 04N between 23W and 45W.

Gulf Of Mexico

A surface ridge extends southwestward from a 1023 mb high over the Florida Big Bend area to south of Tampico, Mexico. Light to gentle winds and seas of 1 to 2 ft are present across the northern Gulf. Moderate with locally fresh NE to E winds and 3 to 5 ft seas are found across the southern Gulf. Patchy fog is reducing visibility over coastal waters within 90 nm of the U.S. Shore.

For the forecast, high pressure centered NE of the area will dominate much of the week, but gradually move east, allowing a cold front to enter the NW Gulf late this week. Southerly winds will increase ahead of this front, with some locally strong winds possible in the central Gulf.

Caribbean Sea

Please read the Special Feature Section about a Gale Warning in effect offshore Colombia.

A broad surface ridge with an axis roughly along 31N is sustaining a trade-wind pattern across the basin. Fresh to strong ENE winds and 7 to 10 ft seas are noted in the central and eastern basin, as well as in the Windward Passage. Mainly moderate E winds with seas of 4 to 7 ft dominate the western basin.

For the forecast, fresh E to NE trade winds and rough seas are expected across the southwestern and central Caribbean into the weekend, with winds pulsing to strong speeds through the Windward Passage, in the Gulf of Venezuela, and S of Hispaniola. Moderate to locally fresh NE winds will prevail across the remainder of the basin. East swell will bring rough seas near the Windward and Leeward Islands and their passages into the eastern Caribbean Sea through the week.

Atlantic Ocean

A cold front has devolved into a surface trough in the eastern Atlantic that stretches from 31N19W to 28N22W this morning. A broad high pressure, anchored by a 1026 mb center near 33N39W, extending W along 31N, is dominating most of the basin, supporting light to gentle winds and seas of 4 to 7 ft for waters N of 26N. To the south, an expansive trade-wind regime dominates, with mainly fresh ENE winds and seas of 6 to 9 ft.

For the forecast W of 55W, moderate to fresh trade winds will prevail south of 25N into the weekend. Elsewhere, gentle to moderate winds will prevail through late week. East swell will bring rough seas NE of the Leeward Islands and NE of Puerto Rico through the weekend.

Posted 1 hour, 50 minutes ago by NHC Forecaster Konarik